slate

Etymology

From Old French esclate, from esclat (French éclat), from Frankish *slaitan (“to split, break”), from Proto-Germanic *slaitijaną, causative of *slītaną (“to cut up, split”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sleɪt/
• Hyphenation: slate
• Rhymes: -eɪt

Adjective

slate (not comparable)

1. Having the bluish-grey/gray colour of slate.

Noun

slate (countable and uncountable, plural slates)

1. (uncountable, geology) A fine-grained homogeneous sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash which has been metamorphosed so that it cleaves easily into thin layers.
2. (uncountable) The bluish-grey colour of most slate.

   slate colour:  

3. (countable) A sheet of slate for writing on with chalk or with a thin rod of slate (a slate pencil) formerly commonly used by younger children for writing practice in schools.
4. (countable) A roofing-tile made of slate.
5. (countable) A record of money owed.

   Put it on my slate – I’ll pay you next week.

6. (countable, chiefly US) A list of affiliated candidates for an election.

   Roy Disney led the alternative slate of directors for the stockholder vote.

7. An artificial material resembling slate and used for the same purposes.
8. A thin plate of any material; a flake.

Verb

slate (third-person singular simple present slates, present participle slating, simple past and past participle slated)

1. To cover with slate.

   The old church ledgers show that the roof was slated in 1775.

2. (chiefly Britain) To criticise harshly.

   The play was slated by the critics.

3. (chiefly US) To schedule.

   The election was slated for November 2nd.

4. (chiefly US) To destine or strongly expect.

   The next version of our software is slated to be the best release ever.

5. To punish severely.

   The boy was slated by his own mom for disobeying her.

Anagrams

• Astle, Teals, Tesla, astel, laste, lates, least, leats, salet, setal, stale, steal, stela, taels, tales, teals, telas, tesla