SLATE

I. noun see: slit Date: 14th century a piece of construction material (as laminated rock) prepared as a shingle for roofing and siding, a dense fine-grained metamorphic rock produced by the compression of various sediments (as clay or shale) so as to develop a characteristic cleavage, a tablet (as of ~) used for writing on, 4. a written or unwritten record (as of deeds) , a list of candidates for nomination or election, 5. a dark purplish gray, any of various grays similar in color to common roofing ~s, ~ adjective ~like adjective II. transitive verb (~d; slating) Date: 15th century to cover with ~ or a ~like substance , to designate for a specified purpose or action ; schedule , III. transitive verb (~d; slating) Etymology: probably alteration of 1slat Date: 1825 to thrash or pummel severely, to criticize or censure severely