Slimen

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To coat a surface with a viscous, slippery substance or make something covered in slime
2. To render something slick and sticky by smearing it with a glutinous, mucus-like film
3. To cover or daub an object with a slippery, mud-like ooze until it becomes slimy

Etymology: The verb "slimen" is built from the noun "slime" and the suffix "-en," the same ending found in "soften," "darken," and "thicken." It means to make something slimy or to become covered in slime. The suffix turns a substance into an action, so to slimen something is to coat it in that substance. The noun is much older and was originally less disgusting than the modern sense suggests. Old English "slīm" referred to a thick, sticky substance, including the mud and natural bitumen used as mortar and sealant. It is generally linked to Latin "limus," meaning mud, though the exact prehistoric source is not settled. The sense of "slimy" as unpleasant or oily developed later, and the verb built on that sense is comparatively rare, so its exact first date is uncertain.