Syn. — Loose; relaxed; weak; remiss; backward; abated; diminished; inactive; slow; tardy; dull.
Slack
(Slack) adv. Slackly; as, slack dried hops.
Slack
(Slack), n. The part of anything that hangs loose, having no strain upon it; as, the slack of a rope
or of a sail.
Slack
(Slack Slack"en) v. i. [imp. & p. p. Slacked Slackened ; p. pr. & vb. n. Slacking, Slackening.]
[See Slack, a.]
1. To become slack; to be made less tense, firm, or rigid; to decrease in tension; as, a wet cord slackens
in dry weather.
2. To be remiss or backward; to be negligent.
3. To lose cohesion or solidity by a chemical combination with water; to slake; as, lime slacks.
4. To abate; to become less violent.
Whence these raging fires
Will slacken, if his breath stir not their flames.
Milton. 5. To lose rapidity; to become more slow; as, a current of water slackens.
6. To languish; to fail; to flag.
7. 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. Slack
(Slack, Slack"en), v. t.
1. To render slack; to make less tense or firm; as, to slack a rope; to slacken a bandage. Wycklif (Acts
xxvii. 40)
2. To neglect; to be remiss in. [Obs.] Shak.
Slack not the pressage.
Dryden. 3. To deprive of cohesion by combining chemically with water; to slake; as, to slack lime.
4. 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.
