I. noun
or slay or sleigh ˈslā
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English sleye, slay, from Old English slege, literally, act of beating, stroke; akin to Old High German slag blow, Old Norse slagr, Old English slēan to strike, beat, slay — more at slay
1.
a. : a weaver's reed
b. : a movable frame in a loom that carries the reed
2. : a guideway in a knitting machine
3. : the number of warp ends per inch in a cloth
4. : a device in a lace machine that contains small holes through which some warp ends pass and is used in selecting the pattern
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to separate and arrange in a reed the threads of (the warp)
• sley·er -lāə(r), -le(ə)r, -leə noun -s