Slack (?), n. [Cf. Slag.]
Small coal; also, coal dust; culm. Raymond.
Slack, n. [Icel. slakki a slope
on a mountain edge.] A valley, or small, shallow dell.
[Prov. Eng.] Grose.
Slack, a. [Compar.
Slacker (?); superl. Slackest.] [OE.
slak, AS. sleac; akin to OS. slak, OHG.
slah, Prov. G. schlack, Icel. slakr, Sw.
slak; cf. Skr. s&rsdot;j to let loose, to throw. Cf.
Slake.] 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.
C&?;sar . . . about sunset, hoisting sail with a
slack 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. Slackly; as,
slack dried hops.
Slack, n. 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.] [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.
Slack (?), n. [Cf. Slag.]
Small coal; also, coal dust; culm. Raymond.
Slack, n. [Icel. slakki a slope
on a mountain edge.] A valley, or small, shallow dell.
[Prov. Eng.] Grose.
Slack, a. [Compar.
Slacker (?); superl. Slackest.] [OE.
slak, AS. sleac; akin to OS. slak, OHG.
slah, Prov. G. schlack, Icel. slakr, Sw.
slak; cf. Skr. s&rsdot;j to let loose, to throw. Cf.
Slake.] 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.
C&?;sar . . . about sunset, hoisting sail with a
slack 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. Slackly; as,
slack dried hops.
Slack, n. 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.] [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.
