Slams

Slams is the plural of slam, a term with several related meanings. As a noun, a slam can denote a forceful impact or a loud, sudden act, such as a door being slammed. As a verb, to slam means to strike with great force, to reject emphatically, or to criticize harshly. The plural form is used for multiple instances or named events that involve slams.

In sports, Grand Slam refers to winning all major championships within a discipline. In tennis, the Grand Slam means capturing the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open in a single calendar year; a career Grand Slam denotes winning all four over a player's career. In rugby union, a Grand Slam is achieved by a team winning all its matches in the Six Nations Championship in a season. In curling, the Grand Slam of Curling is a circuit of major events, sometimes described colloquially as “slams.” In golf, the term is used similarly, with a career Grand Slam signifying victory of all four majors during a player's career.

In performing arts, a poetry slam is a competitive event where poets perform original work before judges or an audience; scoring and advancement rules vary by event. Poetry slams helped popularize the form during the late 20th century and have since spread internationally. The term slam is also used in everyday language to describe physical actions such as a body slam in wrestling or a slam dunk in basketball.

Overall, slams cover diverse uses from sport achievements to performance formats and everyday actions, unified by the idea of decisive impact or performance.