# slough

> English word · Noun · IPA /slʌf/ · frequency rank #26,965

## Definitions
1. The skin shed by a snake or other reptile.
2. Dead skin on a sore or ulcer.

## Etymology
From Middle English slogh, slugh, slouh, from Proto-Germanic *sluk-, perhaps related to *sleupaną (“to slip, sneak”) (compare Gothic 𐍃𐌻𐌹𐌿𐍀𐌰𐌽 (sliupan)).
Akin to Middle Low German slô (“sheath, skin on a hoof”). Perhaps also related with Old Saxon slūk (“snakeskin”), Middle High German slūch, whence German Schlauch (“waterskin, hose”).

## Easily confused with
- **slug** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/slough-vs-slug)
- **south** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/slough-vs-south)
- **slush** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/slough-vs-slush)
- **sought** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/slough-vs-sought)
- **slog** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/slog-vs-slough)
- **sloth** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sloth-vs-slough)
- **sleigh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sleigh-vs-slough)
- **slouch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/slouch-vs-slough)
- **sleuth** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sleuth-vs-slough)

## Common misspellings (9)
`lsough`, `sllough`, `sloguh`, `slouggh`, `sloughh`, `slouhg`, `sluogh`, `solugh`, `sslough`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/slough