Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US campus) of a man, an act of sexual intercourse.

1839		Crim.-Con. Gaz. 5 Jan. 8/3: She must [...] not mind an ‘upright slam’ or a ‘down-you-go’ on Saturuday night .
1982		Eble Campus Sl. Spring 7: slam – (2) sexual intercourse: How ’bout a good ol’ slam in the sack!
2007		S. Maloney Sucked In 57: [We] found ourselves going the slam against a concrete wall.

2. (US) an insult.

1884		I.M. Rittenhouse Maud (1939) 296: Oh! did I tell you that Mr. Hough to atone for his ‘slams,’ said, ‘I did want to make one gallant speech, but I hardly dared, about how remarkably well you looked Tuesday night.’.
1896		W.C. Gore Student Sl. in Cohen (1997) 22: slam n. An uncomplimentary hint. ‘She said she didn’t like sensitive people. I wonder if that was a slam on me.’.
1900		E.H. Babbitt ‘College Words and Phrases’ in DN II:i 60: slam, n. Mean remarks about a person.
1911		J. Lomax Cowboy Songs 191: Such a slam against my talent made me hotter than a mink.
1912		H.G. van Campen ‘Our Theatrical Boarding House’ in L.A. Herald 10 Dec. 10/4: ‘Believe a old pal, Imogen, they’s some places where but one of yer slams would put yuh in awful Dutch, but I’m one who kin an’ does make allowances’.
1920		F.S. Fitzgerald ‘May Day’ in Bodley Head Scott Fitzgerald V (1963) 167: It’s a perfect insult to call any one a good woman in that way. It’s a slam.
1939		W. Winchell ‘On Broadway’ 11 Feb. [synd. col.] Virginio Gayda [...] is being spanked in the Brazilian papers for his slams at Pres. Roosevelt.
1961		H.S. Thompson letter 21 Nov. in Proud Highway (1997) 297: If it occurs to you that I’m trying to sell you a slam at the ‘extreme right,’ forget it. I’m not.
1967		L. Bruce Essential Lenny Bruce 89: This is no slam against President Eisenhower.
2024		Bluesky 25 July 🌐 The key to the meme is instinctive feasibility. Slams about Bush being dumb landed because he seemed dumb.

3. (US) a try, an attempt.

1908		B. Fisher A. Mutt in Blackbeard Compilation (1977) 135: In these times 50 bucks is no cheese and it behooves every wife to take a slam at that 50.
1928		J. Callahan Man’s Grim Justice 53: What’s the matter with taking a slam at a jug?
1933		(con. WWI) F. Richards Old Soldiers Never Die (1964) 132: There was going to be another slam on the 27th.

4. (US) a violent blow; also used fig.

1909		C.B. Chrysler White Slavery 67: If she gets ‘bad’ (objects or resists) she gets a ‘slam in the puss’.
1913–14		Van Loan ‘Out of His Class’ in Taking the Count 178: He kin trade slams wit’ any of ’em.
1919		Wodehouse ‘Aunt and the Sluggard’ in My Man Jeeves [ebook] [T]his quite unforeseen slam simply robbed me of the power of speech.
1928		M.C. Sharpe Chicago May (1929) 185: Brown was due for some dirty slams which might prove fatal.
1941		‘Digg Mee’ ‘Observation Post’ in N.Y. Age 14 June 9/4: Two boys [...] who will pan any one who deserves a slam.
1963		M. Braly Shake Him Till He Rattles (1964) 66: There was a slam of applause as Kovin finished his solo.

5. (US) a drink of alcohol [one ‘slams’ the glass on the bar counter or the drink down one’s throat].

1913		D. Runyon ‘In Old Juarez’ 1 Jan. [synd. col.] Where chili is fifteen cents a throw / And mescal only a dime a slam.
1931		D. Runyon ‘Dream Street Rose’ in Runyon on Broadway (1954) 51: His customers take the wind after a couple of slams of Good Time Charley’s merchandise.
1971		L. Sanders Pleasures of Helen 103: ‘I’m going to have a slam,’ she announced. [...] She had a bottle of scotch and brought it out.

6. (US) a disappointment.

1928

J. Callahan Man’s Grim Justice 228: There were other slams waiting for me along the trail.

7. one shilling [one ‘slams’ it down on the counter].

1922

Tamworth Herald 5 Aug. 3/5: ‘Lams rouf’ is back slang for ‘four slams,’ or four shillings.

8. in pl., prison uses [the sound they make when shut].

9. in basketball, the act of throwing of the ball downward through the hoop, a ‘dunk’.

1996

W.D. Myers Slam! 63: I went up turning and flying and threw it down on a bad reverse slam.

10. (drugs) the act of injecting a narcotic.

1997

E. Little Another Day in Paradise 31: I’m staring, forgetting about my own slam for a little while.

11. (UK prison) the use of force by an officer.

2000

Other Side of the Wall: Prisoner’s Dict. July 🌐 Slam: Use of force by an officer, bringing a prisoner to the floor and restraining him/her. The prisoner may be thrown to the ground, face first, while in handcuffs. (TX).