These include: "slew" as the past tense of the verb "slay"; "slew" as a spelling variant of "slough," a word which is also commonly pronounced \SLOO\ and which means "swamp," "an inlet on a river," or "a creek in a marsh or tide flat"; and the verb slew, meaning "to turn, veer, or skid."

Is slew the past tense of slay?

There are two words for the simple past tense form of "slay." ... "Slayed" and "slew" can be seen as interchangeable, but it is still considered nonstandard for "slayed" to be used as the past tense of "slay" in the sense of killing violently.

Is it Slough or Slew?

Slough may also mean a swamp. The word slough is derived from the Old English word sloh which means a muddy place. ... First, slew is the past tense of the word slay which means to kill. Slew may also mean to slide or turn in an uncontrollable manner.