slalom

1 of 2

noun

sla·​lom ˈslä-ləm 

often attributive

1

: skiing in a zigzag or wavy course between upright obstacles (such as flags)

2

: a timed race (as on skis or in an automobile or kayak) over a winding or zigzag course past a series of flags or markers

broadly : movement over a zigzag route

slalom

2 of 2

verb

slalomed; slaloming; slaloms

intransitive verb

: to move over a zigzag course in or as if in a slalom

Synonyms

Verb

• dodge
• duck
• jink
• sidestep
• weave
• zigzag

Examples of slalom in a Sentence

Verb

slalomed through the crowd with the ease of an Olympic skier

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Family vacations were a mix of relaxing on the Galveston coast and testing my athletic abilities slalom water skiing on Lake Arrowhead. —Alex Temblador, Outside Online, 23 Sep. 2024

America’s best female whitewater paddler, who is just 20, is competing in three events in Paris: kayak slalom, KayakCross, and canoe slalom. —Aimee Berg, Outside Online, 31 July 2024

Verb

Never has a truck been so able to slalom, squeeze past and wedge in and out of traffic as this as squirt, but the Maverick’s smallness is an asset, not a liability. —Josh Max, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024

For 66 years now, the space agency has achieved sublime things—robots on Mars, boots on the moon, spacecraft slaloming through the rings and moons of the outer planets. —Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 11 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Norwegian slalåm, literally, sloping track

First Known Use

Noun

1921, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1932, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing slalom

• giant slalom

Kids Definition

slalom

noun

sla·​lom

ˈsläl-əm

1

: skiing in a zigzag or wavy course between upright poles

2

: a timed skiing race over such a course