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Slake

//sleɪk// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A sloppy mess. Scotland
  2. 2
    A slack, a tidal wetland.

    "The slakes are waste lands bordering on the seashore, which are covered with water when the tide comes in. The word is common in Northumberland, where the slakes between the Mainland and Holy Island, are much frequented by sportsmen[…]"

Verb
  1. 1
    To satisfy (thirst, or other desires). transitive

    "slake the heavenly fire"

  2. 2
    To besmear. Scotland, transitive
  3. 3
    cause to heat and crumble by treatment with water wordnet
  4. 4
    To cool (something) with water or another liquid. transitive

    "Notes for landscape tones. Long sequences of tempera. Light filtered through the essence of lemons. An air full of brick-dust - sweet smelling brick dust and the odour of hot pavements slaked with water."

  5. 5
    make less active or intense wordnet
Show 7 more definitions
  1. 6
    To become mixed with water, so that a true chemical combination takes place. intransitive

    "The lime slakes."

  2. 7
    satisfy (thirst) wordnet
  3. 8
    To mix with water, so that a true chemical combination takes place. transitive

    "to slake lime"

  4. 9
    Of a person: to become less energetic, to slacken in one's efforts. intransitive, obsolete
  5. 10
    To slacken; to become relaxed or loose. intransitive, obsolete

    "When the body's strongest sinews slake."

  6. 11
    To become less intense; to weaken, decrease in force. intransitive, obsolete

    "wherfor the quene waxed wroth with sir Launcelot / and vpon a day she called sir launcelot vnto her chamber and saide thus / Sir launcelot I see and fele dayly that thy loue begynneth to slake / for thou hast no Ioye to be in my presence / but euer thou arte oute of thys Courte "wherefore the queen waxed wroth with Sir Launcelot. And upon a day she called Sir Launcelot unto her chamber, and said thus: Sir Launcelot, I see and feel daily that thy love beginneth to slake, for thou hast no joy to be in my presence, but ever thou art out of this court""

  7. 12
    To go out; to become extinct. intransitive, obsolete

    "His flame did slake."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English slaken (“to render slack, to slake”), from Old English sleacian, from Old English slæc (“slack”). Unrelated to, but possibly influenced by, the Old Norse sløkkva (“to extinguish”), compare Swedish släcka in the phrase släcka sin törst (“quench one's thirst”), släcka elden (“put out the fire”), and släckt kalk (“slaked lime”).

Etymology 2

Probably connected with Icelandic sleikja, "to lick", and German schlecken (“to lick”).

Etymology 3

Probably connected with Icelandic sleikja, "to lick", and German schlecken (“to lick”).

See also for "slake"

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