1 C1 neutral
(Prison context) To carry and empty a bucket used as a toilet, as was required in cells without plumbing
"Prisoners in the Victorian wing still had to slop out every morning before breakfast."
slop out
C1 neutral intransitive
In a prison context, to empty buckets of human waste — a practice from when cells lacked toilets
In plain English
In old prisons, to take out a bucket used as a toilet and empty it
What does "slop out" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To slop (spill liquid messily) out of a container
Actually means
In old prisons, to take out a bucket used as a toilet and empty it
Usage tip
Highly specific to the British and Irish prison context, referring to a now largely abolished practice. Also used as a noun compound ('slopping out'). Encountered mainly in journalism, prison memoirs, and historical contexts.
Words that pair with "slop out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
prisoners cells bucket morning routine abolished
How to conjugate "slop out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
slop out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
slops out
he/she/it
Past simple
sloped out
yesterday
Past participle
sloped out
have + pp
-ing form
sloping out
continuous
Hear "slop out" in the wild
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Other ways to say "slop out"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
dispose of waste empty out
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