/sleɪt/
OriginThe noun is derived from Middle English sclate, slat, slate (“type of rock; roofing slate; writing slate”), from Old French esclate, a feminine form of esclat (“broken piece, shard”) (modern French éclat), from Old French esclater (“to break, shatter”), from Frankish *slaitijan (“to split, break”), from Proto-Germanic *slaitijaną, the causative of *slītaną (“to cut up, split”); further etymology unknown (see the Proto-Germanic entry for a discussion). Doublet of éclat and slat.
The adjective and verb are derived from the noun.
- countable, uncountableA piece of such stone, usually cut into a rectangular shape, used as a tile for flooring, roofing, etc.; (uncountable) such tiles collectively, or the material from which they are made.
“Some of the minor Welsh 2 ft. gauge railways, we hear from Mr. N. F. G. Dalston, are enjoying a miniature boom owing to the demand for slate for the repair of damaged roofs.”
“In 1765 only 80 men were employed, and the annual output of slates did not exceed 1,000 tons, and large-scale quarrying was not begun by Lord Penrhyn until 1782.”
“The necessary works were extensive and included replacing missing and damaged slates and other roof repairs (in order to make the building watertight), pointing and drainpipe replacement, and extensiv”
- countable, uncountableA piece of other material used as a roofing tile.
- broadly, countable, uncountableA generally rectangular piece, originally of certain types of stone and now of other materials, often in a frame, used for writing on with a thin rod of the same or another stone (a slate pencil) or with chalk; a small chalkboard.
“He wrote all down one side of the slate and all up the other, and then remarked--"As there's no time to finish that, The time has come to have our chat."”
- broadly, countable, uncountableSynonym of tablet computer (“a hand-held portable computer in the form of a tablet with a touch screen interface”).
“Hearing Steve Ballmer and others talk about the availability of Windows 8 on slates, laptops, netbooks, notebooks, and screens from 7 to 70 inches might lead us to believe that Microsoft is attempting”
- broadly, countable, uncountableA sequentially numbered session of recording a film.
- broadly, countable, uncountableInformation about a film recording which is inserted at the start of the recording, or printed on a videotape label etc.
- countable, figuratively, uncountableA record, for example, of money owed.
“Put it on my slate—I’ll pay you next week.”
- US, countable, figuratively, uncountableA range of things; also, a schedule.
“The Chairman James Kaplan tended to his busy slate of record and film projects, while Mia, too, actively sought movie work, somewhat to her husband's chagrin.”
“If it sounds like an impossibly busy slate, it turned out to be just that.”
- US, countable, figuratively, uncountableA collection of films released during a certain period, either from one studio or from a certain film industry (such as Hollywood) as a whole.
“Like many independents that have established a strong if narrow niche, Central Park says it prospers when "A" titles are in short supply, but Pascuzzi much prefers a crowded slate because of trickle-d”
“MVL Film Finance LLC (MVL) was created to partially finance Marvel Studios' production of a slate of 10 live-action or animated films based on up to 10 of Marvel's comic book characters[…]”
“This overcrowded blockbuster slate has led to the death of the respectable mid-budget movie, which has arguably migrated to prestige television along with writers, directors and actors.”
- US, countable, figuratively, uncountableA group or list of candidates for appointment or election to an office; also, a group of candidates or electors with affiliated political views.
“Ice is one of a slate of young, idealistic candidates for Move Forward who have joined mainstream politics in the hope that this election allows Thailand to break the cycle of military coups […]”
- uncountableA fine-grained homogeneous sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash which has been metamorphosed so that it cleaves easily into thin layers.
“The Penrhyn slate quarry possibly dates back to the sixteenth century, as it appears that in 1580 Sion Tudor asked the Bishop of Bangor for a shipload of slate.”
- uncountableThe bluish-grey colour of most slate (etymology 1 sense 4).
- dated, transitiveSynonym of slating (“a harsh criticism”).
“[Thomas] Carlyle's savage "slate" of him [Frederick Marryat] is unjust to a degree which can only be palliated by the fact that it was founded on a hasty reading of his books in the evil days after th”
- Having the bluish-grey colour of slate (noun etymology 1 sense 4).
- transitiveTo cover (a building, or part of a building such as a floor or roof) with slates (noun etymology 1 sense 1.1).
“The old church ledgers show that the roof was slated in 1775.”
- US, figuratively, transitiveTo appoint or designate (someone or something); also, to nominate or propose (someone or something); specifically (politics), to nominate or propose (a candidate) for an office.
- US, figuratively, transitiveTo expect (something) with a (strong) degree of certainty; to anticipate, to predict.
“The next version of our software is slated to be the best release ever.”
- US, figuratively, transitiveTo plan or schedule (something).
“The election was slated for November 2nd.”
“The Cleethorpes to Barton-on-Humber branch had been slated to transfer from Northern into the East Midlands franchise, but this move is still awaiting a DfT decision.”
- transitiveTo provide synchronization information about (a scene, take, etc., of a film recording) using a slate (noun etymology 1 sense 2.3.1).
“Why You Want to Slate your Shots”
- transitiveTo scrape (an animal hide) with a slater (“blade originally made of slate”) to remove hairs.
- intransitiveTo cover a building, or part of a building with slates (noun etymology 1 sense 1.1).
- intransitiveTo provide a film recording with synchronization information, especially using a slate (noun etymology 1 sense 2.3.1).
- transitiveTo scold (someone) harshly; to chastise, to excoriate, to lambaste.
“"I'm awfully sorry if I gave it to her too hot; she deserved it; but i did not want to be a brute." / "But you were," said Pattie with grave regret. / "If I was, Val slated me hard enough. So we may c”
- UK, transitiveTo criticize or critique (an author or a work) harshly; to castigate.
“The play was slated by the critics.”
“It makes me mad to hear that wretched Mouse, when he wants to slate a very good novel, declare that there is no romance in real life.”
- slang, transitiveTo treat (an enemy) harshly.
“Now we shall get "slated," I thought, if there is any one there: a few good shots might have picked off every one on deck.”
- slang, transitiveTo beat or thrash (someone) harshly.
“"Does John Barker live here?" asks Thurnall, putting his head in cautiously for fear of drunken Irishmen, who might be seized with the national impulse to "slate" him.”
- UK, obsolete, transitiveTo knock the hat of (someone) forward over their eyes as a joke.
“Another point of amusement is flying a tile or slating a man, as the phrases of the Stock Exchange describe it. […] One who was foremost in slating his brothers, or kicking about a new castor, had him”
- Northern-England, Scotland, transitiveTo set (one or more dogs) on a person or animal; to sic.
- Northern-England, Scotland, transitiveTo set one or more dogs on (a person or animal).
Formsslates(plural) · sclate(alternative) · more slate(comparative) · most slate(superlative) · slates(present, singular, third-person) · slating(participle, present) · slated(participle, past) · slated(past) · Slates(plural) · Slates(alternative)