sling
Definitions
General English
- noun an apparatus made of ropes and pulleys for lifting and carrying goods
Agriculture
- noun a type of harness that is used to support the weight of an animal that is suffering from some kind of disability
Medical
- noun a triangular bandage attached round the neck, used to support an injured arm and prevent it from moving
Military
- noun a leather or webbing strap, by which a weapon can be hung from a person’s shoulder so that they are free to use their hands
Slang
- verb (to pay) a bribe. The Australasian term is the equivalent of the British bung.
Sports
- noun a wide bandage suspended from someone’s neck to support an injured arm or hand
Origin & History of “sling”
English has at least two distinct words sling, maybe more – the picture is far from clear. The first to appear was the verb, ‘throw’ (13th c.). This was probably borrowed from Old Norse slyngva, but as it originally meant specifically ‘throw with a sling’ there is clearly some connection with the noun sling ‘strap for throwing stones’ (13th c.), whose immediate source was perhaps middle Low German slinge. Sling ‘loop or strap for holding things’ (14th c.) may be the same word, although there is no conclusive proof for this. Sling ‘spirit-based drink’ (18th c.) first came on the scene in America, but its origins are unknown.
