Standard Lemma guide

Slytherin

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈslɪðəɹɪn/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • homophone: slithering (g-dropping)

1

noun

Meaning 1

A person having traits associated with Slytherin house from the Harry Potter series, including ambition, cunning, or an affinity for snakes or the colours green and silver.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Coined by British author and philanthropist J. K. Rowling, presumably from slither (verb) + -in (variant of -en (“pertaining to”)) or -ing (“belonging to; of the kind of”).

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 斯萊特林 /斯莱特林 (Sīláitèlín) — Harry Potter house
  • Chinese Mandarin: 史萊哲林 /史莱哲林 (Shǐláizhélín) — Harry Potter house
  • Czech: Zmijozelák — Harry Potter house
  • Czech: Zmijozelan — Harry Potter house
  • Dutch: Zwadderaar — Harry Potter house
  • Finnish: Luihuinen — Harry Potter house
  • French: Serpentard — Harry Potter house
  • Hebrew: סלית׳רין (slithrin) — Harry Potter house
  • Hindi: नागशक्ति (nāgśakti) — Harry Potter house
  • Hungarian: Mardekár — Harry Potter house
  • Italian: Serpeverde — Harry Potter house
  • Japanese: スリザリン (Surizarin) — Harry Potter house
  • Polish: Ślizgon — Harry Potter house
  • Portuguese: Sonserina — Harry Potter house
  • Russian: Сли́зерин (Slízerin) — Harry Potter house
  • Russian: слизеринец (slizerinec) — person having traits associated with the house