slacken

Definitions

1. 1.To be remiss or backward; to be negligent.
2. 2.To lose cohesion or solidity by a chemical combination with water; to slake; as, lime slacks.
3. 3.To abate; to become less violent. Whence these raging fires Will slacken, if his breath stir not their flames. Milton.
4. 4.To lose rapidity; to become more slow; as, a current of water slackens.
5. 5.To languish; to fail; to flag.
6. 6.To end; to cease; to desist; to slake. [Obs.] That through your death your lineage should slack. Chaucer. They will not of that firste purpose slack. Chaucer.
7. 7.To render slack; to make less tense or firm; as, to slack a rope; to slacken a bandage. Wycklif (Acts xxvii. 40)
8. 8.To neglect; to be remiss in. [Obs.] Shak. Slack not the pressage. Dryden.
9. 9.To deprive of cohesion by combining chemically with water; to slake; as, to slack lime.
10. 10.To cause to become less eager; to repress; to make slow or less rapid; to retard; as, to slacken pursuit; to slacken industry. "Rancor for to slack." Chaucer. I should be grieved, young prince, to think my presence Unbent your thoughts, and slackened 'em to arms. Addison. In this business of growing rich, poor men should slack their pace. South. With such delay Well plased, they slack their course. Milton.
11. 11.To cause to become less intense; to mitigate; to abate; to ease. To respite, or deceive, or slack thy pain Of this ill mansion. Milton. Air-slacked lime, lime slacked by exposure to the air, in consequence of the absorption of carton dioxide and water, by which it is converted into carbonate of lime and hydrate of lime.
12. 12.A spongy, semivitrifled substance which miners or smelters mix with the ores of metals to prevent their fusion. [Written also slakin.]

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Related questions

• What does "slacken" mean?
• What is another word for "slacken"?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is slacken.

• What is to be remiss or backward; to be negligent called?
• What is to lose cohesion or solidity by a chemical combination with water; to slake; as, lime slacks called?
• What is to abate; to become less violent. Whence these raging fires Will slacken, if his breath stir not their flames. Milton called?
• What is to lose rapidity; to become more slow; as, a current of water slackens called?
• What is to end; to cease; to desist; to slake. [Obs.] That through your death your lineage should slack. Chaucer. They will not of that firste purpose slack. Chaucer called?
• What is to render slack; to make less tense or firm; as, to slack a rope; to slacken a bandage. Wycklif (Acts xxvii. 40) called?
• What is to neglect; to be remiss in. [Obs.] Shak. Slack not the pressage. Dryden called?
• What is to deprive of cohesion by combining chemically with water; to slake; as, to slack lime called?
• What is a spongy, semivitrifled substance which miners or smelters mix with the ores of metals to prevent their fusion. [Written also slakin.] called?