Etymology From Middle English sclabbe, slabbe, of uncertain origin; possibly from *slap, related to dialectal slappel (“portion, piece”), along with slape (“slippery”), sleip (“smooth piece of timber”), borrowed through Old Norse sleipr from Proto-Germanic *slaipaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leyb-. See also Norwegian sleip (“slippery”) and Icelandic sleipur.
A large, flat piece of solid material; a solid object that is large and flat.
There were no windows in the inn. They were not required, since the interstices between the slabs suffered the wind, the rain, and the light of day to penetrate simultaneously.1859, John Lang, Botany Bay, or, True Tales of Early Australia, page 155:
Then there was the Mexican who sold big slabs of chewing taffy for five cents each. […] And many a day I made my entire lunch off of one of those slabs.1913 August, Jack London, chapter V, in John Barleycorn, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC, page 45:
2 more examples
I was working in the lab late one night When my eyes beheld an eerie sight For my monster, from his slab, began to rise And suddenly, to my surprise He did the Mash He did the Monster Mash.1962, “Monster Mash”, Bobby "Boris" Pickett and Lenny Capizzi (lyrics), performed by Bobby (Boris) Pickett and The Crypt-Kickers:
“The pier? You mean those few sodden logs tied together and that dingy slab of rough concrete.”2010, Ryan Humphreys, The Flirtations of Dan Harris, page 73:
2
A paving stone; a flagstone.
3
Australia A carton containing 24 cans (chiefly of beer).
The Australians murder a few slabs of beer and the New Zealanders murder a few vowels.2001, Les Carlyon, Gallipoli, page 8:
The older man bought a slab of Coca-Cola at the counter and carried it out ahead of the younger man.2002, Alex Miller, Journey to the Stone Country, Allen & Unwin, published 2003, page 88:
3 more examples
2008, Diem Vo, Family Life, Alice Pung (editor), page 156, However, unlike in Ramsay Street, there were never any cups of tea or bickies served. Instead, each family unit came armed with a slab of beer.
Common 375-ml cans are called tinnies, and can be bought in 24-can slabs for discounted prices.2010, Holly Smith, Perth, Western Australia & the Outback, Hunter Publishing, unnumbered page:
One essential part of the strategy for selling regionally identified beers beyond their borders was the selling of slabs — a package of four six-packs of stubbies or cans — for discounted prices interstate.2009, Ross Fitzgerald, Trevor Jordan, Under the Influence: A History of Alcohol in Australia, published 2011, unnumbered page:
4
An outside piece taken from a log or timber when sawing it into boards, planks, etc.
Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports, Surfing A very large wave.
After being towed into a massive slab, Dorian dropped down the face and caught a rail, putting him in a near-impossible situation.2009, Bruce Boal, The Surfing Yearbook, SurfersVillage, page 31:
In August 2000 he successfully rode a slab of unfathomable power at Teahupo′o.2011, Douglas Booth, Surfing: The Ultimate Guide, page 95:
7
Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Programming, Sciences The amount by which a cache can grow or shrink, used in memory allocation.
8
Geography, Geology, Natural sciences Part of a tectonic plate that is being, or has been, subducted.
Being driven by the gravitational force, the subducting Pacific slab continues to sink down to the boundary between the upper and lower mantle […]2015, Dapeng Zhao, Multiscale Seismic Tomography, Springer, page 72:
Next week they'll pour the slab that the shed will sit on.
10
Geometry, Mathematics, Sciences A region between two parallel lines in the Euclidean plane, or between two parallel planes in three-dimensional Euclidean space, or between two hyperplanes in higher dimensions.
The 56th meeting of the GST Council [for the Goods and Services Tax] on September 3, 2025 will be remembered as a defining milestone in India's tax history. These reforms go far beyond tax rates and structures. They represent a decisive shift towards a simpler, fairer, and growth-oriented system that is aligned with the aspirations of a Viksit Bharat 2047. A long-standing demand of both industry and consumers has been simplification of the multiple GST slabs (5%, 12%, 18%, and 28%). The move to a transparent “Simple Tax”, with just two rates, 18% as the Standard Rate and 5% as the Merit Rate, along with a 40% de-merit rate for a select few goods — is transformational.2025 September 5, Chandrajit Banerjee, “GST 2.0 is a landmark in India's tax journey. The simplification of the multiple GST slabs is an example of people's reform”, in The Hindu:
12
A flat, sealed plastic case that encloses a flat collector's item, such as a coin or a trading card.
13
US, Slang A large, luxury pre-1980 General Motors vehicle, particularly a Buick, Oldsmobile, or Cadillac.
Video screens have also become a standard part of slab interiors.2016, Langston Collin Wilkins, “Officially Ridin' Swangas: Slab as tangible and intangible cultural heritage in Houston, Texas”, in Michelle L. Stefano, Peter Davis, editor, The Routledge Companion to Intangible Cultural Heritage, page 206:
After a few loops around the park, some drivers—most of them Black and Latino men in their twenties and thirties driving customized lowriders, bright, candy-colored slabs, and jacked-up trucks with flashy chrome rims—packed into a nearby middle school parking lot.2021 March 23, Peter Holley, “They Just Moved Into an Austin Neighborhood. Now They Want to End One of Its Traditions.”, in Texas Monthly:
14
Geography, Natural sciencesAbbreviation, Ellipsis, Physical Ellipsis of slab avalanche.
Etymology From Middle English sclabbe, slabbe, of uncertain origin; possibly from *slap, related to dialectal slappel (“portion, piece”), along with slape (“slippery”), sleip (“smooth piece of timber”), borrowed through Old Norse sleipr from Proto-Germanic *slaipaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leyb-. See also Norwegian sleip (“slippery”) and Icelandic sleipur.
1
To make into a slab.
2
Informal To destroy (a structure) so completely as to leave only the foundation slab visible.
Multiple homes were slabbed by the monster tornado.
slab
adj
Etymology Compare Scottish Gaelic slàib (“mud”) and Irish slaba (“muddy flat”), and English slop (“puddle”).
Make the gruel thick and slab:c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
slab
noun
Etymology Compare Scottish Gaelic slàib (“mud”) and Irish slaba (“muddy flat”), and English slop (“puddle”).
Some do also plant oziers in their eights, like quick-sets, thick, and (near the water) keep them not more than half a foot above ground; but then they must be diligently cleansed from moss, slab, and ouze, and frequently prun'd (especially the smaller spires) to form single shoots;[…].1664, J[ohn] E[velyn], Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest-trees and the Propagation of Timber in His Majesties Dominions. […], London: […] Jo[hn] Martyn, and Ja[mes] Allestry, printers to the Royal Society, […], →OCLC:
Etymology Acronym of Slow, Loud And Bangin'. This term been popularized through the southern rap genre of hip-hop, most notably by rappers such as Paul Wall, Chamillionaire, Lil' Keke, and others.
1
Southern US, Slang A car that has been modified with equipment such as loudspeakers, lights, special paint, hydraulics, and other accessories.
Pull me over, try to check my slab2005, Chamillionaire (featuring Krayzie Bone), "Ridin'", The Sound of Revenge
I'mma swang, I'mma swing my slab lean to the left2006, Trae (featuring Pimp C and Big Hawk), "Swang", Restless
1 more example
All three of them recognized who the Lexus'^([sic]) belonged to so he parked his slab and they cocked their guns.2012, Bobby Austin, By All Mean$, AuthorHouse, published 2012, →ISBN, page 56:
Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences A sequence of 12 adjacent bits, serving as a byte in some computers.