Slack

Pronunciation

• IPA: /slæk/
• Rhymes: -æk

Origin

For sense of coal dust, compare slag.

Full definition of slack

Noun

1. (uncountable) Small coal; coal dust.
2. (countable) A valley, or small, shallow dell.
3. (uncountable) The part of anything that hangs loose, having no strain upon it.The slack of a rope or of a sail.
4. (countable) A tidal marsh or shallow, that periodically fills and drains.

Synonyms

• (small coal; coal dust) culm
• (tidal marsh) slough

Derived terms

• (coal dust) nutty slack

Adjective

1. Lax; not tense; not hard drawn; not firmly extended.a slack rope
2. Weak; not holding fast.a slack hand
3. Remiss; backward; not using due diligence or care; not earnest or eager.slack in duty or service
• Bible, 2 Peter iii. 9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness.
4. Not violent, rapid, or pressing.Business is slack.
• 1928, Lawrence R. Bourne, Well Tackled! Chapter 3, “They know our boats will stand up to their work,” said Willison, “and that counts for a good deal. A low estimate from us doesn't mean scamped work, but just for that we want to keep the yard busy over a slack time.”
5. (slang, West Indies) vulgar; sexually explicit, especially in dancehall music

Synonyms

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

Derived terms

• slack-jawed

Adverb

1. Slackly.slack dried hops

Verb

1. To slacken.
• Robert SouthIn this business of growing rich, poor men ... should slack their pace.
2. (obsolete) To mitigate; to reduce the strength of.
• 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.7:Ne did she let dull sleepe once to relent,
  Nor wearinesse to slack her hast, but fled
  Ever alike ....
3. (followed by “off”) to procrastinate; to be lazy
4. (followed by “off”) to refuse to exert effort
5. To lose cohesion or solidity by a chemical combination with water; to slake.Lime slacks.

Anagrams

• calks
• lacks