Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Slander \Slan"der\, n. [OE. sclandere, OF. esclandre, esclandle,
   escandre, F. esclandre, fr. L. scandalum, Gr. ??? a snare,
   stumbling block, offense, scandal; probably originally, the
   spring of a trap, and akin to Skr. skand to spring, leap. See
   {Scan}, and cf. {Scandal}.]
   1. A false tale or report maliciously uttered, tending to
      injure the reputation of another; the malicious utterance
      of defamatory reports; the dissemination of malicious
      tales or suggestions to the injury of another.

            Whether we speak evil of a man to his face or behind
            his back; the former way, indeed, seems to be the
            most generous, but yet is a great fault, and that
            which we call ``reviling;'' the latter is more mean
            and base, and that which we properly call
            ``slander'', or ``Backbiting.''       --Tillotson.

            [We] make the careful magistrate The mark of
            slander.                              --B. Jonson.

Slander \Slan"der\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Slandered}; p. pr. &
   vb. n. {Slandering}.]
   1. To defame; to injure by maliciously uttering a false
      report; to tarnish or impair the reputation of by false
      tales maliciously told or propagated; to calumniate.

            O, do not slander him, for he is kind. --Shak.

   2. To bring discredit or shame upon by one's acts.

            Tax not so bad a voice To slander music any more
            than once.                            --Shak.

   Syn: To asperse; defame; calumniate; vilify; malign; belie;
        scandalize; reproach. See {Asperse}.

Source : WordNet®

slander
     v : charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good
         name and reputation of someone; "The journalists have
         defamed me!" "The article in the paper sullied my
         reputation" [syn: {defame}, {smirch}, {asperse}, {denigrate},
          {calumniate}, {smear}, {sully}, {besmirch}]

slander
     n 1: words falsely spoken that damage the reputation of another
     2: an abusive attack on a person's character or good name [syn:
         {aspersion}, {calumny}, {defamation}, {denigration}]