slash

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
slash/slaʃ/

▶verb

• 1 cut with a violent sweeping movement.

• 2 informal reduce (a price, quantity, etc.) greatly.

  ■ (as adj. slashing) vigorously incisive or effective.

• 3 archaic lash, whip, or thrash severely.

  ■ criticize severely.

▶noun

• 1 a cut made with a wide, sweeping stroke.

• 2 a bright patch or flash of colour or light.

• 3 an oblique stroke (/) used between alternatives, in fractions and ratios, or between separate elements of a text.

• 4 Brit. informal an act of urinating.

• 5 N. Amer. debris resulting from the felling or destruction of trees.

– origin ME: perh. imitative, or from OFr. esclachier ‘break in pieces’.