slack 1
— slackingly , adv. — slackly , adv. — slackness , n.
/slak/ , adj.
1. not tight, taut, firm, or tense; loose: a slack rope.
2. negligent; careless; remiss: slack proofreading.
3. slow, sluggish, or indolent: He is slack in answering letters.
4. not active or busy; dull; not brisk: the slack season in an industry.
5. moving very slowly, as the tide, wind, or water.
6. weak; lax.
7. Naut. easy (def. 15a).
adv.
8. in a slack manner.
n.
9. a slack condition or part.
10. the part of a rope, sail, or the like, that hangs loose, without strain upon it.
11. a decrease in activity, as in business or work: a sudden slack in output.
12. a period of decreased activity.
13. Geog. a cessation in a strong flow, as of a current at its turn.
14. a depression between hills, in a hillside, or in the land surface.
15. Pros. (in sprung rhythm) the unaccented syllable or syllables.
16. Brit. Dial. a morass; marshy ground; a hollow or dell with soft, wet ground at the bottom.
17. take up the slack ,
a. to pull in or make taut a loose section of a rope, line, wire, etc.: Take up the slack before releasing the kite.
b. to provide or compensate for something that is missing or incomplete: New sources of oil will take up the slack resulting from the embargo.
v.t.
18. to be remiss in respect to (some matter, duty, right, etc.); shirk; leave undone: He slacked the most important part.
19. to make or allow to become less active, vigorous, intense, etc.; relax (efforts, labor, speed, etc.); lessen; moderate (often fol. by up ).
20. to make loose, or less tense or taut, as a rope; loosen (often fol. by off or out ).
21. to slake (lime).
v.i.
22. to be remiss; shirk one's duty or part.
23. to become less active, vigorous, rapid, etc. (often fol. by up ): Business is slacking up.
24. to become less tense or taut, as a rope; to ease off.
25. to become slaked, as lime.
[ bef. 900; ME slac (adj.), OE sleac, slaec; c. ON slakr, OHG slach, L laxus LAX ]
Syn. 1. relaxed. 2. lazy, weak. 3. dilatory, tardy, late. 4. idle, quiet. 11. slowing, relaxation. 18. neglect. 19. reduce, slacken. 22. malinger.
slack 2
/slak/ , n.
the fine screenings of coal.
[ 1400-50; late ME sleck slacke, slecke ]