Толковый словарь английского языка Oxford English Reference - slough

1. n. a swamp; a miry place; a quagmire. Phrases and idioms Slough of Despond a state of hopeless depression (with ref. to Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress). Derivatives sloughy adj. Etymology: OE sloh, slo(g) 2. n. & v. --n. 1 a part that an animal casts or moults, esp. a snake's cast skin. 2 dead tissue that drops off from living flesh etc. 3 a habit etc. that has been abandoned. --v. 1 tr. cast off as a slough. 2 intr. (often foll. by off) drop off as a slough. 3 intr. cast off a slough. 4 intr. (often foll. by away, down) (of soil, rock, etc.) collapse or slide into a hole or depression. Derivatives sloughy adj. Etymology: ME, perh. rel. to LG slu(we) husk