SLACK

lax, slack

(adjective) lacking in rigor or strictness; “such lax and slipshod ways are no longer acceptable”; “lax in attending classes”; “slack in maintaining discipline”

slack

(adjective) flowing with little speed as e.g. at the turning of the tide; “slack water”

loose, slack

(adjective) not tense or taut; “the old man’s skin hung loose and grey”; “slack and wrinkled skin”; “slack sails”; “a slack rope”; “a slack grip”

slack

(noun) a cord or rope or cable that is hanging loosely; “he took up the slack”

slack, slackness

(noun) the quality of being loose (not taut); “he hadn’t counted on the slackness of the rope”

mire, quagmire, quag, morass, slack

(noun) a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot

slack, slack water

(noun) a stretch of water without current or movement; “suddenly they were in a slack and the water was motionless”

slump, slack, drop-off, falloff, falling off

(noun) a noticeable deterioration in performance or quality; “the team went into a slump”; “a gradual slack in output”; “a drop-off in attendance”; “a falloff in quality”

slack

(noun) dust consisting of a mixture of small coal fragments and coal dust and dirt that sifts out when coal is passed over a sieve

slack, slake

(verb) cause to heat and crumble by treatment with water; “slack lime”

abate, let up, slack off, slack, die away

(verb) become less in amount or intensity; “The storm abated”; “The rain let up after a few hours”

slake, abate, slack

(verb) make less active or intense

slow, slow down, slow up, slack, slacken

(verb) become slow or slower; “Production slowed”

slack, slacken, slack up, relax

(verb) make less active or fast; “He slackened his pace as he got tired”; “Don’t relax your efforts now”

slack

(verb) release tension on; “slack the rope”

slack

(verb) be inattentive to, or neglect; “He slacks his attention”

slack

(verb) avoid responsibilities and work, be idle

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Proper noun

Slack (plural Slacks)

A surname.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Slack is the 2692^nd most common surname in the United States, belonging to 13377 individuals. Slack is most common among White (82.95%) and Black/African American (11.62%) individuals.

Anagrams

• calks, kcals, lacks

Etymology 1

Noun

slack (countable and uncountable, plural slacks)

(uncountable) The part of anything that hangs loose, having no strain upon it.

(countable) A tidal marsh or shallow that periodically fills and drains.

Synonyms

• (small coal; coal dust): culm

• (tidal marsh): slough

Adjective

slack (comparative slacker, superlative slackest)

Lax; not tense; not hard drawn; not firmly extended.

Weak; not holding fast.

Remiss; backward; not using due diligence or care; not earnest or eager.

Not violent, rapid, or pressing.

Excess; surplus to requirements.

(slang, West Indies) vulgar; sexually explicit, especially in dancehall music.

Synonyms

• (not violent, rapid, or pressing): slow, moderate, easy

Adverb

slack (not comparable)

Slackly.

Etymology 2

Verb

slack (third-person singular simple present slacks, present participle slacking, simple past and past participle slacked)

To slacken.

(obsolete) To mitigate; to reduce the strength of.

(followed by “off”) to procrastinate; to be lazy

(followed by “off”) to refuse to exert effort

To lose cohesion or solidity by a chemical combination with water; to slake.

Etymology 3

Either from the adjective in Etymology 1 or the verb in Etymology 2.

Noun

slack (plural slacks)

(rail) A temporary speed restriction where track maintenance or engineering work is being carried out at a particular place.

Etymology 4

Noun

slack (plural slacks)

(countable) A valley, or small, shallow dell.

Etymology 5

Noun

slack (uncountable)

(mining) Small coal; coal dust.

Anagrams

• calks, kcals, lacks

Source: Wiktionary

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Slack, n. Etym: [Cf. Slag.]

Definition: Small coal; also, coal dust; culm. Raymond.

Slack, n. Etym: [Icel. slakki a slope on a mountain edge.]

Definition: A valley, or small, shallow dell. [Prov. Eng.] Grose.

Slack, a. [Compar. Slacker; superl. Slackest.] Etym: [OE. slak, AS. sleac; akin to OS. slak, OHG. slah, Prov. G. schlack, Icel. slakr, Sw. slak; cf. Skr. srsj to let loose, to throw. Cf. Slake.]

Definition: Lax; not tense; not hard drawn; not firmly extended; as, a slack rope.

2. Weak; not holding fast; as, a slack hand. Milton.

3. Remiss; backward; not using due diligence or care; not earnest or eager; as, slack in duty or service. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness. 2 Pet. iii. 9.

4. Not violent, rapid, or pressing; slow; moderate; easy; as, business is slack. "With slack pace." Chaucer. Cslack southwest, at midnight was becalmed. Milton. Slack in stays (Naut.), slow in going about, as a ship.

– Slack water, the time when the tide runs slowly, or the water is at rest; or the interval between the flux and reflux of the tide.

– Slack-water navigation, navigation in a stream the depth of which has been increased, and the current diminished, by a dam or dams.

Syn.

– Loose; relaxed; weak; remiss; backward; abated; diminished; inactive; slow; tardy; dull.

Slack, adv.

Definition: Slackly; as, slack dried hops.

Slack, n.

Definition: The part of anything that hangs loose, having no strain upon it; as, the slack of a rope or of a sail.

Slack, Slack"en, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Slacked, Slackened (; p. pr. & vb. n. Slacking, Slackening.] Etym: [See Slack, a.]

1. To become slack; to be made less tense, firm, or rigid; to decrease in tension; as, a wet cord slackens in dry weather.

2. To be remiss or backward; to be negligent.

3. To lose cohesion or solidity by a chemical combination with water; to slake; as, lime slacks.

4. To abate; to become less violent. Whence these raging fires Will slacken, if his breath stir not their flames. Milton.

5. To lose rapidity; to become more slow; as, a current of water slackens.

6. To languish; to fail; to flag.

7. To end; to cease; to desist; to slake. [Obs.] That through your death your lineage should slack. Chaucer. They will not of that firste purpose slack. Chaucer.

Slack, Slack"en, v. t.

1. To render slack; to make less tense or firm; as, to slack a rope; to slacken a bandage. Wycklif (Acts xxvii. 40)

2. To neglect; to be remiss in. [Obs.] Shak. Slack not the pressage. Dryden.

3. To deprive of cohesion by combining chemically with water; to slake; as, to slack lime.

4. To cause to become less eager; to repress; to make slow or less rapid; to retard; as, to slacken pursuit; to slacken industry. "Rancor for to slack." Chaucer. I should be grieved, young prince, to think my presence Unbent your thoughts, and slackened 'em to arms. Addison. In this business of growing rich, poor men should slack their pace. South. With such delay Well plased, they slack their course. Milton.

5. To cause to become less intense; to mitigate; to abate; to ease. To respite, or deceive, or slack thy pain Of this ill mansion. Milton. Air-slacked lime, lime slacked by exposure to the air, in consequence of the absorption of carton dioxide and water, by which it is converted into carbonate of lime and hydrate of lime.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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