slack

slack
\ \ [OE] In common with Dutch and Swedish slak, slack comes from a prehistoric Germanic *slakaz. This was derived from the same ultimate source that produced Latin laxusloose’ (source of English lax, relax, release, and relish) and languērelanguish’ (source of English languish). The plural noun slacks was first used for ‘trousers’ in the early 19th century. (The noun slacksmall pieces of coal’ [15] is a different word, probably borrowed from Middle Dutch slackewaste produced by smelting metal’.)
\ \ Cf.LANGUISH, LAX, RELAX, RELEASE, RELINQUISH

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Slack — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Andrew Slack (* 1955), australischer Rugbyspieler Charles E. Slack, US amerikanischer Basketballspieler Charles Roger Slack (* 1937), britischer Biochemiker und Pflanzenphysiologe Freddie Slack (1910–1965) …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Slack — 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[.r]j to let loose, to throw. Cf. {Slake}.] Lax; not tense; not hard drawn; not firmly… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • slack — slack1 [slak] adj. [ME slakke < OE slæc, akin to Du slak < IE base * (s)lēg , loose, slack > L laxus, lax] 1. slow; idle; sluggish 2. barely moving: said of a current, as of air or water 3. characterized by little work, trade, or… …   English World dictionary

  • Slack — Slack, Slacken 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) [1913 Webster] 2. To neglect; to be remiss in. [Obs.] Shak. [1913 Webster] Slack not the pressage.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Slack — may refer to: *John Bamford Slack, British politician and lay preacher *William Yarnel Slack, Confederate general killed in the American Civil War *Slack (project management), a term used in project management *Slack, West Yorkshire, a village in …   Wikipedia

  • Slack — [slɛk , engl.: slæk], der; s [engl. slack = Flaute, zu: slack = locker, lose, flau] (Wirtsch.): Überschuss an [finanziellen] Mitteln eines Unternehmens, der sich in Erfolgszeiten ansammelt u. als Reserve für Krisenzeiten dient. * * * Slack  … …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Slack — Slack, Slacken 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • slack — Ⅰ. slack [1] ► ADJECTIVE 1) not taut or held tightly in position; loose. 2) (of business or trade) not busy; quiet. 3) careless, lazy, or negligent. 4) (of a tide) neither ebbing nor flowing. ► NOUN 1) …   English terms dictionary

  • slack — [adj1] loose, baggy; inactive dull, easy, feeble, flabby, flaccid, flexible, flimsy, inert, infirm, laggard, lax, leisurely, limp, not taut, passive, quaggy, quiet, relaxed, sloppy, slow, slow moving, sluggish, soft, supine, unsteady, weak;… …   New thesaurus

  • Slack — Slack, adv. Slackly; as, slack dried hops. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Slack — Slack, n. The part of anything that hangs loose, having no strain upon it; as, the slack of a rope or of a sail. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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