slag

Unwanted material separated from metal when rock containing metal is heated to produce it.

• The furnace produced slag.
• Slag separates from the metal during smelting.
• The workers collected the cooled slag for disposal.

Similar words: smelting waste

Common phrases: smelting slag, iron slag, molten slag, remove slag

Unwanted rock and other material left over from mining.

• Slag covered the ground near the mine.
• Workers dumped the slag on a nearby heap.
• Grass now grows over the old mine's slag.

Similar words: mine waste, spoil

Common phrases: slag heap, mine slag, piles of slag

Hard pieces of waste left by a metal furnace, sometimes used to build road surfaces.

• They used slag to surface the road.
• Crushed slag was mixed into the concrete.
• The path was covered with hard furnace slag.

Similar words: furnace residue

Common phrases: crushed slag, blast furnace slag, slag aggregate, slag road surface

A layer of unwanted material that forms on top of melted metal.

• Slag floated on the melted metal.
• The worker skimmed slag from the surface.
• Remove the slag before pouring the iron.

Similar words: dross, scum

Common phrases: floating slag, skim off slag, surface slag

To say unpleasant or unfair things about someone.

• Stop slagging her off.
• They slagged the band after the concert.
• Why are you always slagging off your colleagues?

How to use it: slag someone/something off (He keeps slagging his old school off.)

Similar words: badmouth, insult, criticize, run down

Opposites: praise

Common phrases: slag someone off, slag off someone, slag someone publicly

To produce waste material while metal is being heated or separated from rock.

• This ore slags heavily during smelting.
• The mixture slagged as the furnace heated up.
• Different ores slag at different rates.

Common phrases: slag during smelting, slag in furnaces

To become waste material, or form lumps when heated without melting completely.

• The ash began to slag.
• Some fuels slag at relatively low temperatures.
• The particles slagged into hard lumps inside the furnace.

Similar words: agglomerate

Common phrases: slag when heated, slag into lumps

To turn a material into waste left by heating or processing metal.

• The process slags unwanted minerals.
• The heat slagged part of the material.
• Added lime helps slag the impurities in the ore.

Similar words: scorify

Common phrases: slag the impurities, slag the material