Part 59
Slant (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Slanted; p. pr. & vb. n. Slanting.] [OE. slenten to slope, slide; cf. Sw. slinta to slide.] To be turned or inclined from a right line or level; to lie obliquely; to slope.
On the side of younder slanting hill.
Dodsley.
Slant, v. t. To turn from a direct line; to give an oblique or sloping direction to; as, to slant a line.
Slant, n. 1. A slanting direction or plane; a slope; as, it lies on a slant.
2. An oblique reflection or gibe; a sarcastic remark.
Slant or wind, a local variation of the wind from its general direction.
Slant, a. [Cf. dial. Sw. slant. See Slant, v. i.] Inclined from a direct line, whether horizontal or perpendicular; sloping; oblique. "The slant lightning." Milton.
Slant"ing, a. Oblique; sloping. -- Slant"ing*ly, adv.
{ Slant"wise` (?), Slant"ly }, adv. In an inclined direction; obliquely; slopingly.
Slap (?), n. [OE. slappe; akin to LG. slappe, G. schlappe; probably of imitative origin.] A blow, esp. one given with the open hand, or with something broad.
Slap, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slapped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slapping.] To strike with the open hand, or with something broad.
Slap, adv. [Cf. LG. slap, G. schlapp. See Slap, n.] With a sudden and violent blow; hence, quickly; instantly; directly. [Colloq.] "The railroad cars drive slap into the city." Thackeray.
Slap"dash` (?), adv. [Slap + dash.] 1. In a bold, careless manner; at random. [Colloq.]
2. With a slap; all at once; slap. [Colloq.] Prior.
Slap"dash`, v. t. To apply, or apply something to, in a hasty, careless, or rough manner; to roughcast; as, to slapdash mortar or paint on a wall, or to slapdash a wall. [Colloq.] Halliwell.
Slape (?), a. [Icel. sleipr slippery; akin to E. slip.] Slippery; smooth; crafty; hypocritical. [Prov. Eng.]
Slape ale, plain ale, as opposed to medicated or mixed ale. [Prov. Eng.]
Slape"face` (?), n. A soft-spoken, crafty hypocrite. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
Slap"jack` (?), n. A flat batter cake cooked on a griddle; a flapjack; a griddlecake. [Local, U.S.]
Slap"per (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, slaps.
2. Anything monstrous; a whopper. [Slang] Grose.
{ Slap"per (?), Slap"ping (?), } a. Very large; monstrous; big. [Slang.]
Slash, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slashed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slashing.] [OE. slaschen, of uncertain origin; cf. OF. esclachier to break, esclechier, esclichier, to break, and E. slate, slice, slit, v. t.] 1. To cut by striking violently and at random; to cut in long slits.
2. To lash; to ply the whip to. [R.] King.
3. To crack or snap, as a whip. [R.] Dr. H. More.
Slash, v. i. To strike violently and at random, esp. with an edged instrument; to lay about one indiscriminately with blows; to cut hastily and carelessly.
Hewing and slashing at their idle shades.
Spenser.
Slash, n. 1. A long cut; a cut made at random.
2. A large slit in the material of any garment, made to show the lining through the openings.
3. [Cf. Slashy.] pl. Swampy or wet lands overgrown with bushes. [Local, U.S.] Bartlett.
Slashed (?), a. 1. Marked or cut with a slash or slashes; deeply gashed; especially, having long, narrow openings, as a sleeve or other part of a garment, to show rich lining or under vesture.
A gray jerkin, with scarlet and slashed sleeves.
Sir W. Scott.
2. (Bot.) Divided into many narrow parts or segments by sharp incisions; laciniate.
Slash"er (?), n. (Textile Manuf.) A machine for applying size to warp yarns.
Slash" pine" (?). (Bot.) A kind of pine tree (Pinus Cubensis) found in Southern Florida and the West Indies; -- so called because it grows in "slashes."
Slash"y (?), a. [Cf. Sw. slaska to dabble in water. Cf. Slush.] Wet and dirty; slushy. [Prov. Eng.]
Slat (?), n. [CF. Slot a bar.] A thin, narrow strip or bar of wood or metal; as, the slats of a window blind.
Slat, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slatted; p. pr. & vb. n. Slatting.] [OE. slatten; cf. Icel. sletta to slap, to dab.] 1. To slap; to strike; to beat; to throw down violently. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U.S.]
How did you kill him? Slat[t]ed his brains out.
Marston.
2. To split; to crack. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
3. To set on; to incite. See 3d Slate. [Prov. Eng.]
Slatch (?), n. [See Slack.] (Naut.) (a) The period of a transitory breeze. (b) An interval of fair weather. (c) The loose or slack part of a rope; slack.
Slate (?), n. [OE. slat, OF. esclat a shiver, splinter, F. éclat, fr. OF. esclater to shiver, to chip, F. éclater, fr. OHG. sliezen to tear, slit, split, fr. slzan to slit, G. schleissen. See Slit, v. t., and cf. Eclat.] 1. (Min.) An argillaceous rock which readily splits into thin plates; argillite; argillaceous schist.
2. Any rock or stone having a slaty structure.
3. A prepared piece of such stone. Especially: (a) A thin, flat piece, for roofing or covering houses, etc. (b) A tablet for writing upon.
4. An artificial material, resembling slate, and used for the above purposes.
5. A thin plate of any material; a flake. [Obs.]
6. (Politics) A list of candidates, prepared for nomination or for election; a list of candidates, or a programme of action, devised beforehand. [Cant, U.S.] Bartlett.
Adhesive slate (Min.), a kind of slate of a greenish gray color, which absorbs water rapidly, and adheres to the tongue; whence the name. -- Aluminous slate, or Alum slate (Min.), a kind of slate containing sulphate of alumina, -- used in the manufacture of alum. -- Bituminous slate (Min.), a soft species of sectile clay slate, impregnated with bitumen. -- Hornblende slate (Min.), a slaty rock, consisting essentially of hornblende and feldspar, useful for flagging on account of its toughness. -- Slate ax or axe, a mattock with an ax end, used in shaping slates for roofs, and making holes in them for the nails. -- Slate clay (Geol.), an indurated clay, forming one of the alternating beds of the coal measures, consisting of an infusible compound of alumina and silica, and often used for making fire bricks. Tomlinson. -- Slate globe, a globe the surface of which is made of an artificial slatelike material. -- Slate pencil, a pencil of slate, or of soapstone, used for writing on a slate. -- Slate rocks (Min.), rocks which split into thin laminæ, not necessarily parallel to the stratification; foliated rocks. -- Slate spar (Min.), a variety of calcite of silvery white luster and of a slaty structure. -- Transparent slate, a plate of translucent material, as ground glass, upon which a copy of a picture, placed beneath it, can be made by tracing.
Slate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slated; p. pr. & vb. n. Slating.] 1. To cover with slate, or with a substance resembling slate; as, to slate a roof; to slate a globe.
2. To register (as on a slate and subject to revision), for an appointment. [Polit. Cant]
Slate, v. t. [Cf. AS. slting a privilege of hunting.] To set a dog upon; to bait; to slat. See 2d Slat, 3. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] [Written also slete.] Ray.
Slate"-col`or (?). A dark bluish gray color.
Slate"-gray` (?), a. Of a dark gray, like slate.
Slat"er (?), n. One who lays slates, or whose occupation is to slate buildings.
Slat"er, n. (Zoöl.) Any terrestrial isopod crustacean of the genus Porcellio and allied genera; a sow bug.
Slat"ing, n. 1. The act of covering with slate, slates, or a substance resembling slate; the work of a slater.
2. Slates, collectively; also, material for slating.
Slatt (?), n. [See Slat a strip of board.] A slab of stone used as a veneer for coarse masonry. Knight.
Slat"ter (?), v. i. [E. slat to throw or dash about.] To be careless, negligent, or aswkward, esp. with regard to dress and neatness; to be wasteful. Ray.
Slat"tern (?), n. A woman who is negligent of her dress or house; one who is not neat and nice.
Slat"tern, a. Resembling a slattern; sluttish; slatterny. "The slattern air." Gay.
Slat"tern (?), v. t. To consume carelessly or wastefully; to waste; -- with away. [R.] Chesterfield.
Slat"tern*li*ness (?), n. The quality or state of being slatternly; slovenliness; untidiness.
Slat"tern*ly, a. Resembling a slattern; sluttish; negligent; dirty. -- adv. In a slatternly manner.
Slat"ter*pouch` (?), n. A dance or game played by boys, requiring
## active exercise. [Obs.] Gayton.
Slat"ting (?), Slats, collectively.
Slat"ting, n. The violent shaking or flapping of anything hanging loose in the wind, as of a sail, when being hauled down.
Slat"y (?), a. [From Slate.] Resembling slate; having the nature, appearance, or properties, of slate; composed of thin parallel plates, capable of being separated by splitting; as, a slaty color or texture.
Slaty cleavage (Min.), cleavage, as of rocks, into thin leaves or plates, like those of slate; -- applied especially to those cases in which the planes of cleavage are not parallel to the planes of stratification. It is now believed to be caused by the compression which the strata have undergone. -- Slaty gneiss (Min.), a variety of gneiss in which the scales of mica or crystals of hornblende, which are usually minute, form thin laminæ, rendering the rock easily cleavable.
Slaugh"ter (?), n. [OE. slautir, slaughter, slaghter, Icel. sltr slain flesh, modified by OE. slaught, slaht, slaughter, fr. AS. sleaht a stroke, blow; both from the root of E. slay. See Slay, v. t., and cf. Onslaught.] The act of killing. Specifically: (a) The extensive, violent, bloody, or wanton destruction of life; carnage.
On war and mutual slaughter bent.
Milton.
(b) The act of killing cattle or other beasts for market.
Syn. -- Carnage; massacre; butchery; murder; havoc.
Slaugh"ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slaughtered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slaughtering.] 1. To visit with great destruction of life; to kill; to slay in battle.
Your castle is surprised; your wife and babes Savagely slaughtered.
Shak.
2. To butcher; to kill for the market, as beasts.
Slaugh"ter*er (?), n. One who slaughters.
Slaugh"ter*house` (?), n. A house where beasts are butchered for the market.
Slaugh"ter*man (?), n.; pl. Slaughtermen (&?;). One employed in slaughtering. Shak.
Slaugh"ter*ous (?), a. Destructive; murderous. Shak. M. Arnold. -- Slaugh"ter*ous*ly, adv.
Slav (?), n.;pl. Slavs (#). [A word originally meaning, intelligible, and used to contrast the people so called with foreigners who spoke languages unintelligible to the Slavs; akin to OSlav. slovo a word, slava fame, Skr. çru to hear. Cf. Loud.] (Ethnol.) One of a race of people occupying a large part of Eastern and Northern Europe, including the Russians, Bulgarians, Roumanians, Servo-Croats, Slovenes, Poles, Czechs, Wends or Sorbs, Slovaks, etc. [Written also Slave, and Sclav.]
Slave (?), n. See Slav.
Slave (?), n. [Cf. F. esclave, D. slaaf, Dan. slave, sclave, Sw. slaf, all fr. G. sklave, MHG. also slave, from the national name of the Slavonians, or Sclavonians (in LL. Slavi or Sclavi), who were frequently made slaves by the Germans. See Slav.] 1. A person who is held in bondage to another; one who is wholly subject to the will of another; one who is held as a chattel; one who has no freedom of
## action, but whose person and services are wholly under the control of
another.
thou our slave, Our captive, at the public mill our drudge?
Milton.
2. One who has lost the power of resistance; one who surrenders himself to any power whatever; as, a slave to passion, to lust, to strong drink, to ambition.
3. A drudge; one who labors like a slave.
4. An abject person; a wretch. Shak.
Slave ant (Zoöl.), any species of ants which is captured and enslaved by another species, especially Formica fusca of Europe and America, which is commonly enslaved by Formica sanguinea. -- Slave catcher, one who attempted to catch and bring back a fugitive slave to his master. -- Slave coast, part of the western coast of Africa to which slaves were brought to be sold to foreigners. -- Slave driver, one who superintends slaves at their work; hence, figuratively, a cruel taskmaster. -- Slave hunt. (a) A search after persons in order to reduce them to slavery. Barth. (b) A search after fugitive slaves, often conducted with bloodhounds. -- Slave ship, a vessel employed in the slave trade or used for transporting slaves; a slaver. -- Slave trade, the business of dealing in slaves, especially of buying them for transportation from their homes to be sold elsewhere. -- Slave trader, one who traffics in slaves.
Syn. -- Bond servant; bondman; bondslave; captive; henchman; vassal; dependent; drudge. See Serf.
Slave, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Slaved (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slaving.] To drudge; to toil; to labor as a slave.
Slave, v. t. To enslave. Marston.
Slave"born` (?), a. Born in slavery.
Slave"hold`er (?), n. One who holds slaves.
Slave"hold`ing, a. Holding persons in slavery.
Slave*oc"ra*cy (?), n. See Slavocracy.
Slav"er (?), n. 1. A vessel engaged in the slave trade; a slave ship.
2. A person engaged in the purchase and sale of slaves; a slave merchant, or slave trader.
The slaver's hand was on the latch, He seemed in haste to go.
Longfellow.
Slav"er (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Slavered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slavering.] [Cf. Icel. slafra. See Slabber.] 1. To suffer spittle, etc., to run from the mouth.
2. To be besmeared with saliva. Shak.
Slav"er, v. t. To smear with saliva issuing from the mouth; to defile with drivel; to slabber.
Slav"er, n. Saliva driveling from the mouth.
Of all mad creatures, if the learned are right, It is the slaver kills, and not the bite.
Pope.
Slav"er*er (?), n. A driveler; an idiot.
<! p. 1353 !>
Slav"er*ing (?), a. Drooling; defiling with saliva. -- Slav"er*ing*ly, adv.
Slav"er*y (?), n.; pl. Slaveries (#). [See 2d Slave.] 1. The condition of a slave; the state of entire subjection of one person to the will of another.
Disguise thyself as thou wilt, still, slavery, said I, still thou art a bitter draught!
Sterne.
I wish, from my soul, that the legislature of this state [Virginia] could see the policy of a gradual abolition of slavery. It might prevent much future mischief.
Washington.
2. A condition of subjection or submission characterized by lack of freedom of action or of will.
The vulgar slaveries rich men submit to.
C. Lever.
There is a slavery that no legislation can abolish, -- the slavery of caste.
G. W. Cable.
3. The holding of slaves.
Syn. -- Bondage; servitude; inthrallment; enslavement; captivity; bond service; vassalage.
Slav"ey (?), n. A maidservant. [Colloq. & Jocose Eng.]
Slav"ic (?), a. Slavonic. -- n. The group of allied languages spoken by the Slavs.
Slav"ish (?), a. Of or pertaining to slaves; such as becomes or befits a slave; servile; excessively laborious; as, a slavish life; a slavish dependance on the great. -- Slav"ish*ly, adv. -- Slav"ish*ness, n.
Slav"ism (?), n. The common feeling and interest of the Slavonic race.
Slav*oc"ra*cy (?), n. [Slave + -cracy, as in democracy.] The persons or interest formerly representing slavery politically, or wielding political power for the preservation or advancement of slavery. [U. S.]
{ Sla*vo"ni*an (?), Sla*von"ic (?), } a. 1. Of or pertaining to Slavonia, or its inhabitants.
2. Of or pertaining to the Slavs, or their language.
Sla*vo"ni*an, n. A native or inhabitant of Slavonia; ethnologically, a Slav.
{ Slav"o*phil (?), Slav"o*phile (?), } n. [Slavic + Gr. &?;&?;&?; loving.] One, not being a Slav, who is interested in the development and prosperity of that race.
Slaw (?), n. [D. sla, contr. fr. salade, OD. salaet, salad. See Salad.] Sliced cabbage served as a salad, cooked or uncooked.
{ Slaw, Slaw"en } (?), obs. p. p. of Slee, to slay.
With a sword drawn out he would have slaw himself.
Wyclif (Acts xvi. 27.)
Slay (?), v. t. [imp. Slew (?); p. p. Slain (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slaying.] [OE. slan, sl&?;n, sleen, slee, AS. sleán to strike, beat, slay; akin to OFries. sl, D. slaan, OS. & OHG. slahan, G. schlagen, Icel. sl, Dan. slaae, Sw. sl&?;, Goth. slahan; perhaps akin to L. lacerare to tear to pieces, Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;, E. lacerate. Cf. Slaughter, Sledge a hammer, Sley.] To put to death with a weapon, or by violence; hence, to kill; to put an end to; to destroy.
With this sword then will I slay you both.
Chaucer.
I will slay the last of them with the sword.
Amos ix. 1.
I'll slay more gazers than the basilisk.
Shak.
Syn. -- To kill; murder; slaughter; butcher.
Slay"er (?), n. One who slays; a killer; a murderer; a destroyer of life.
Sla"zy (sl"z), a. See Sleazy.
Sle (sl), v. t. To slay. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Sleave (slv), n. [Cf. Dan. slöif, a knot loop, Sw. slejf, G. schleife a knot, sliding knot, and E. slip, v.i.] (a) The knotted or entangled part of silk or thread. (b) Silk not yet twisted; floss; -- called also sleave silk.
Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleave of care.
Shak.
Sleave, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sleaved (slvd); p. pr. & vb. n. Sleaving.] To separate, as threads; to divide, as a collection of threads; to sley; -- a weaver's term.
Sleaved (slvd), a. Raw; not spun or wrought; as, sleaved thread or silk. Holinshed.
Slea"zi*ness (?), n. Quality of being sleazy.
Slea"zy (sl"z), a. [Cf. G. schleissig worn out, threadbare, from schleissen to slit, split, decay, or E. leasy.] Wanting firmness of texture or substance; thin; flimsy; as, sleazy silk or muslin. [Spelt also slazy.]
Sled (sld), n. [Akin to D. slede, G. schlitten, OHG. slito, Icel. sleði, Sw. släde, Dan. slæde, and E. slide, v. See Slide, and cf. Sledge a vehicle, Sleigh.] 1. A vehicle on runners, used for conveying loads over the snow or ice; -- in England called sledge.
2. A small, light vehicle with runners, used, mostly by young persons, for sliding on snow or ice.
Sled, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sledded; p. pr. & vb. n. Sledding.] To convey or transport on a sled; as, to sled wood or timber.
Sled"ding (?), n. 1. The act of transporting or riding on a sled.
2. The state of the snow which admits of the running of sleds; as, the sledding is good.
Sledge (slj), n. [Perhaps from sleds, pl. of sled, confused with sledge a hammer. See Sled, n.] 1. A strong vehicle with low runners or low wheels; or one without wheels or runners, made of plank slightly turned up at one end, used for transporting loads upon the snow, ice, or bare ground; a sled.
2. A hurdle on which, formerly, traitors were drawn to the place of execution. [Eng.] Sir W. Scott.
3. A sleigh. [Eng.]
4. A game at cards; -- called also old sledge, and all fours.
Sledge (slj), v. i. & t. [imp. & p. p. Sledged (sljd); p. pr. & vb. n. Sledging.] To travel or convey in a sledge or sledges. Howitt.
Sledge, n. [AS. slecge,from sleán to strike, beat. See Slay, v. t.] A large, heavy hammer, usually wielded with both hands; -- called also sledge hammer.
With his heavy sledge he can it beat.
Spenser.
Slee (sl), v. t. [See Slay.] To slay. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Sleek (slk), a. [Compar. Sleeker (-r); superl. Sleekest.] [OE. slik; akin to Icel. slkr, and OE. sliken to glide, slide, G. schleichen, OHG. slhhan, D. slik, slijk, mud, slime, and E. slink. Cf. Slick, Slink.] 1. Having an even, smooth surface; smooth; hence, glossy; as, sleek hair. Chaucer.
So sleek her skin, so faultless was her make.
Dryden.
2. Not rough or harsh.
Those rugged names to our like mouths grow sleek.
Milton.
Sleek, adv. With ease and dexterity. [Low]
Sleek, n. That which makes smooth; varnish. [R.]
Sleek, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sleeked (?);p. pr. & vb. n. Sleeking.] To make even and smooth; to render smooth, soft, and glossy; to smooth over.
Sleeking her soft alluring locks.
Milton.
Gentle, my lord, sleek o'er your rugged looks.
Shak.
Sleek"ly, adv. In a sleek manner; smoothly.
Sleek"ness, n. The quality or state of being sleek; smoothness and glossiness of surface.
Sleek"y (?), a. 1. Of a sleek, or smooth, and glossy appearance. Thomson.
2. Fawning and deceitful; sly. [Scot.]
Sleep (?), obs. imp. of Sleep. Slept. Chaucer.
Sleep, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Slept (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sleeping.] [OE. slepen, AS. sl&?;pan; akin to OFries. sl&?;pa, OS. slpan, D. slapen, OHG. slfan, G. schlafen, Goth. sl&?;pan, and G. schlaff slack, loose, and L. labi to glide, slide, labare to totter. Cf. Lapse.] 1. To take rest by a suspension of the voluntary exercise of the powers of the body and mind, and an apathy of the organs of sense; to slumber. Chaucer.
Watching at the head of these that sleep.
Milton.
2. Figuratively: (a) To be careless, inattentive, or uncouncerned; not to be vigilant; to live thoughtlessly.
We sleep over our happiness.
Atterbury.
(b) To be dead; to lie in the grave.
Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1 Thess. iv. 14.
(c) To be, or appear to be, in repose; to be quiet; to be unemployed, unused, or unagitated; to rest; to lie dormant; as, a question sleeps for the present; the law sleeps.
How sweet the moonlight sleep upon this bank!
Shak.
Sleep, v. t. 1. To be slumbering in; -- followed by a cognate object; as, to sleep a dreamless sleep. Tennyson.
2. To give sleep to; to furnish with accomodations for sleeping; to lodge. [R.] Blackw. Mag.
To sleep away, to spend in sleep; as, to sleep away precious time. -- To sleep off, to become free from by sleep; as, to sleep off drunkeness or fatigue.
Sleep, n. [AS. slp; akin to OFries. slp, OS. slp, D. slaap, OHG. slf, G. schlaf, Goth. slps. See Sleep, v. i.] A natural and healthy, but temporary and periodical, suspension of the functions of the organs of sense, as well as of those of the voluntary and rational soul; that state of the animal in which there is a lessened acuteness of sensory perception, a confusion of ideas, and a loss of mental control, followed by a more or less unconscious state. "A man that waketh of his sleep." Chaucer.
O sleep, thou ape of death.
Shak.
Sleep is attended by a relaxation of the muscles, and the absence of voluntary activity for any rational objects or purpose. The pulse is slower, the respiratory movements fewer in number but more profound, and there is less blood in the cerebral vessels. It is susceptible of greater or less intensity or completeness in its control of the powers.
Sleep of plants (Bot.), a state of plants, usually at night, when their leaflets approach each other, and the flowers close and droop, or are covered by the folded leaves.
Syn. -- Slumber; repose; rest; nap; doze; drowse.
Sleep"-at-noon" (?), n. (Bot.) A plant (Tragopogon pratensis) which closes its flowers at midday; a kind of goat's beard. Dr. Prior.
Sleep"-charged` (?), a. Heavy with sleep.
Sleep"er (?), n. 1. One who sleeps; a slumberer; hence, a drone, or lazy person.
2. That which lies dormant, as a law. [Obs.] Bacon.
3. A sleeping car. [Colloq. U.S.]
4. (Zoöl.) An animal that hibernates, as the bear.
5. (Zoöl.) (a) A large fresh-water gobioid fish (Eleotris dormatrix). (b) A nurse shark. See under Nurse.
Sleep"er, n. [Cf. Norw. sleip a sleeper (a timber), as adj., slippery, smooth. See Slape.] Something lying in a reclining posture or position. Specifically: --