Slaw is a kind of salad made from raw chopped or shredded cabbage. You might want to put some slaw in your picnic basket to eat with the sandwiches and potato chips.
Slaw is shorthand for coleslaw, a side dish or salad that always includes cabbage and sometimes other shredded vegetables. Some slaw is dressed with vinaigrette and other types have a creamy or mayonnaise-based dressing. Many different cultures have versions of slaw, like the one in Germany called Krautsalat that includes apples and onions. Slaw comes from the Dutch sla, short for salade, or "salad."