1.
non-slip device; anti-slip material; anti-skid
Something that prevents slipping — a mat, coating, treads, snow chains, or any other anti-slip device or material.
階段に滑り止めを付けた。
I attached non-slip strips to the stairs.
滑り止めの付いた靴下を履いた。
I put on socks with non-slip grips.
雪道を走るので、タイヤに滑り止めを付けた。
Since I'll be driving on snowy roads, I put anti-skid chains on the tires.
2.
backup school; safety school
In Japanese school entrance exams, a less competitive school that a student applies to as insurance in case they fail to get into their first choice. A figurative extension of the 'preventing slipping' meaning.
滑り止めの大学も受けた。
I also applied to a backup university.
第一志望に落ちて滑り止めに進学した。
I didn't get into my first choice, so I enrolled at my backup school.
受験生は第一志望に加えて滑り止めを二三校受けるのが普通だ。
It's normal for exam-takers to apply to two or three backup schools in addition to their first choice.
Compound of 滑る (to slip) + 止める (to stop). Literally 'slip-stop.'
The figurative 'backup school' sense plays on the verb 滑る, which in student slang also means 'to fail an exam.' A 滑り止め school 'stops you from failing.'
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 滑り止めを付ける: to attach a non-slip device
- 滑り止めの靴下: non-slip socks
- 滑り止めの大学: backup university
- 滑り止めを受ける: to apply to a backup school
CULTURAL CONTEXT:
Due to the highly competitive entrance-exam system, Japanese students typically apply to several schools at different difficulty levels, designating one or more as their 滑り止め.