---
title: slither — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «slither» in the school dictionary: To slither is to move along smoothly, twisting from side to side, like a snake. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# slither

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** snake, We, eel, car · **What happens:** be, twist, slither · **To what, where:** side, unsteady way, grass, muddy bank, slug, path

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«slither» in the school dictionary: its 2 meanings for a pupil and its 5 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [slither in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/slither.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To slither is to move along smoothly, twisting from side to side, like a snake.

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:slither:m1:1
# text = To slither is to move along smoothly, twisting from side to side, like a snake.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	slither	slither	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	advcl	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	move	move	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	along	along	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
7	smoothly	smoothly	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
9	twisting	twist	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	advcl	_	_
10	from	from	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	side	side	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
12	to	to	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	side	side	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
15	like	like	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	snake	snake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | along, move, smoothly *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **twist** | gerund |  |  |  | side |  | to side | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP.theme V PP.source PP.trajectory PP.destination»: agent=Theme from side=Source to side=Trajectory |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To slither is to slide in an unsteady way on a slippery surface.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:slither:m2:1
# text = To slither is to slide in an unsteady way on a slippery surface.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	slither	slither	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	advcl	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	slide	slide	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	unsteady	unsteady	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
10	on	on	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	slippery	slippery	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	surface	surface	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present |  |  |  | a unsteady way |  | on a slippery surface; slide *property* | tree rules |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The snake slithered into the grass.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:slither:x1:1
# text = The snake slithered into the grass.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	snake	snake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	slithered	slither	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	into	into	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	grass	grass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **slither** | past | the snake |  |  | the grass |  |  | vn run-51.3.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme into grass=Destination |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
We slithered down the muddy bank.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:slither:x2:1
# text = We slithered down the muddy bank.
1	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	slithered	slither	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	down	down	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	muddy	muddy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	bank	bank	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **slither** | past | We |  |  | the muddy bank |  |  | vn run-51.3.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme down bank=Trajectory |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A slug slithered across the path.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:slither:x3:1
# text = A slug slithered across the path.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	slug	slug	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	slithered	slither	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	acl	_	_
4	across	across	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	path	path	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **slither** | participle |  | a slug *not said here* |  | the path |  |  | vn run-51.3.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme across path=Trajectory |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The eel slithered out of his hands.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:slither:x4:1
# text = The eel slithered out of his hands.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	eel	eel	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	slithered	slither	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	out	out	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	hands	hand	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **slither** | past | the eel |  |  | eel's hands |  |  | vn run-51.3.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme out hand=Trajectory |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The car slithered on the icy road.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:slither:x5:1
# text = The car slithered on the icy road.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	car	car	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	slithered	slither	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	on	on	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	icy	icy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	road	road	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **slither** | past | the car |  |  | the icy road |  |  | vn run-51.3.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme on road=Trajectory |

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**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

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