slink
UK: slɪŋk | US: slɪŋk
vi. to move quietly and stealthily, often with guilt or shame
vi. (of animals) to give birth prematurely (archaic/regional usage)
The word "slink" originates from Old English slincan, meaning "to creep or crawl." It is related to Middle Dutch slinken ("to shrink") and Old Norse sløkkva ("to extinguish"). The core idea revolves around furtive, shrinking movement, which evolved into its modern sense of sneaking or moving guiltily. The archaic usage for animals (e.g., "slink calf") refers to premature birth, likely tied to the notion of something "shrunk" or underdeveloped.
The thief tried to slink away unnoticed.
She slunk into the room, hoping no one would see her.
The cat slinks through the grass, stalking its prey.
(Archaic) The cow slinked a calf last night.
He slunk out of the meeting after his mistake was exposed.