▪ I. slutch, n.
(slʌtʃ)
[Of uncertain origin: cf. sludge n. and slush n.1
It is doubtful whether sluche in the Destr. Troy 12529 is an early example of this, as the form in other passages of the poem is slic(c)he slitch; but cf. slutch v. 1.]
1. Mud, mire, slush. Now dial.
Cf. also sea-slutch (sea 18 e) and star-slutch.
| 1669 Phil. Trans. IV. 1062 A blackish Slutch mixt with the Sand, which infects the whole Spring. 1776 G. Semple Building in Water 73 All that soft Slutch would be thrown out, and a firm Stone-work put in the Place of it. 1777 Pennant Brit. Zool. (ed. 2) IV. 66 Discovered by an aperture in the slutch. 1800 W. Chapman Facts & Rem. rel. Witham & Welland 49 A great portion of rich slimy mud or slutch. 1854 A. E. Baker Northampt. Gloss., Slutch, mud. 1897 Rhoscomyl White Rose Arno 92 Mucked up fro' heel to hat wi' slutch (mud) as thou art. |
2. = slush n.1 3 a.
| 1889 W. Marcroft Ups & Downs 58, I gave orders..that the grinding slutch must be wheeled out before breakfast time each morning. |
▪ II. slutch, v. Now dial.
(slʌtʃ)
Also 4 sluchche.
[Cf. prec.]
1. trans. To cover or soil with mud; to bemire. Hence slutched ppl. a.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. C. 341 Þenne he swepe to þe sonde in sluchched cloþes. 1868 Waugh Sneck Bant i, He was ‘welly (well-nigh) slutched up to th' neck’ with peat mire. |
2. To clean out by removing mud.
| 1690 in Picton L'pool Munic. Rec. (1883) I. 288 It is order'd in Councel y{supt} no allowance be given him to slutch y⊇ frosse lake. 1735 Cheshire Farm Acct. in Sheaf (1879) I. 330 By lading and slutching. 1886 Holland Cheshire Gloss. 324 To ‘slutch a pit’ is to clean out the mud from a pond. |
3. intr. To wade about in mud, etc.
| c 1861– in dialect use (Lanc., Yks.). |