slope
Preserved but no longer current.
To decamp, to run, or rather slip away. Some persons think it came originally from LOPE, to make off; and that the s probably became affixed as a portion of the preceding word, as in the case of "Let’s lope," let us run. It is purely an Americanism, and is possibly but an emendation of our own word elope. Lope, leap, and elope are kindred.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “slope” mean?
To decamp, to run, or rather slip away. Some persons think it came originally from LOPE, to make off; and that the s probably became affixed as a portion of the preceding word, as in the case of "Let’s lope," let us run. It is purely an Americanism, and is possibly but an emendation of our own word elope. Lope, leap, and elope are kindred.
Is “slope” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.