slather
verb
- spread thickly
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈslæðə(ɹ)/
noun
Etymology: Unknown; attested from early 19th century, in the sense "to slip, slide". For the sense "to rain", compare East Frisian sladdern and northern German schladdern ("to rain noisily").
- A thick sauce or spread that is to be slathered (spread thickly) onto food.
- Drool (especially if abundant).
“[The river] Ván in SnE I 21 is mentioned as coming from the slather of the bound Fenris Wolf.”
- A generous or abundant quantity.
“Then there came a reg'lar terror of a sou'wester same as you don't get one summer in a thousand, and blowed the shanty flat and ripped about half of the weir poles out of the sand. We spent consider'ble money getting 'em reset, and then a swordfish got into the pound and tore the nets all to slathers, right in the middle of the squiteague season.”
“In her eyes the manse people were quite fabulously rich, and no doubt those girls had slathers of shoes and stockings.”
verb
Etymology: Unknown; attested from early 19th century, in the sense "to slip, slide". For the sense "to rain", compare East Frisian sladdern and northern German schladdern ("to rain noisily").
- To spread something thickly on something else; to coat well.
“I slathered jam on my toast.”
- To apply generously upon.
“I slathered my toast with jam.”
- To squander.
- To rain.
“... rain had fallen all night and it was slathering down in sheets now. That didn't add to my good humor none.”
“... rain still slathered down out of the rubbery black sky. "Why is the sarge always pickin' on us?" asked Ortwingle sorrowfully as the water drenched down the collar of his raincoat. "I figger maybe we are dependable," Smoot[…]”