slate
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slate¹
- /sleɪt/ US, UK
Sounds like Sleat · Rhymes with -eɪt
Where it comes from
The noun is derived from Middle English sclate, slat, slate (“type of rock; roofing slate; writing slate”), from Old French esclate, a feminine form of esclat (“broken piece, shard”) (modern French éclat), from Old French esclater (“to break, shatter”), from Frankish *slaitijan (“to split, break”), from Proto-Germanic *slaitijaną, the causative of *slītaną (“to cut up, split”); further etymology unknown (see the Proto-Germanic entry for a discussion). Doublet of éclat and slat.
The adjective and verb are derived from the noun.
noun slates · sclate
- A piece of such stone, usually cut into a rectangular shape, used as a tile for flooring, roofing, etc.; (uncountable) such tiles collectively, or the material from which they are made. Some of the minor Welsh 2 ft. gauge railways, we hear from Mr. N. F. G. Dalston, are enjoying a miniature boom owing to the demand for slate for the repair of damaged roofs.
- A piece of other material used as a roofing tile.
- A generally rectangular piece, originally of certain types of stone and now of other materials, often in a frame, used for writing on with a thin rod of the same or another stone (a slate pencil) or with chalk; a small chalkboard. He wrote all down one side of the slate and all up the other, and then remarked--"As there's no time to finish that, The time has come to have our chat."
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Synonym of tablet computer (“a hand-held portable computer in the form of a tablet with a touch screen interface”).
Hearing Steve Ballmer and others talk about the availability of Windows 8 on slates, laptops, netbooks, notebooks, and screens from 7 to 70 inches might lead us to believe that Microsoft is attempting to gain market share solely through […]
Similar: tablet computer
- A sequentially numbered session of recording a film.
- Information about a film recording which is inserted at the start of the recording, or printed on a videotape label etc.
- A record, for example, of money owed. Put it on my slate—I’ll pay you next week.
- A range of things; also, a schedule. The Chairman James Kaplan tended to his busy slate of record and film projects, while Mia, too, actively sought movie work, somewhat to her husband's chagrin.
- A collection of films released during a certain period, either from one studio or from a certain film industry (such as Hollywood) as a whole. Like many independents that have established a strong if narrow niche, Central Park says it prospers when "A" titles are in short supply, but Pascuzzi much prefers a crowded slate because of trickle-down economics.
- A group or list of candidates for appointment or election to an office; also, a group of candidates or electors with affiliated political views. They prepared a procommission slate that would ensure a smooth transition of power, but for political reasons Mayor Jones and the council refused to call the election.
- A fine-grained homogeneous sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash which has been metamorphosed so that it cleaves easily into thin layers. The Penrhyn slate quarry possibly dates back to the sixteenth century, as it appears that in 1580 Sion Tudor asked the Bishop of Bangor for a shipload of slate.
-
The bluish-grey colour of most slate (etymology 1, noun sense 4).
Similar: slate blue, slate gray, slate grey
adjective more slate · most slate
- Having the bluish-grey colour of slate (noun etymology 1, noun sense 4).
verb slates · slating · slated
- To cover (a building, or part of a building such as a floor or roof) with slates (noun etymology 1, noun sense 1.1). The old church ledgers show that the roof was slated in 1775.
- To appoint or designate (someone or something); also, to nominate or propose (someone or something); specifically (politics), to nominate or propose (a candidate) for an office.
- To expect (something) with a (strong) degree of certainty; to anticipate, to predict. The next version of our software is slated to be the best release ever.
- To plan or schedule (something). The election was slated for November 2nd.
- To provide synchronization information about (a scene, take, etc., of a film recording) using a slate (noun etymology 1, noun sense 2.3.1). Why You Want to Slate your Shots
- To scrape (an animal hide) with a slater (“blade originally made of slate”) to remove hairs.
- To cover a building, or part of a building with slates (noun etymology 1, noun sense 1.1). They landed just in front of a nice little house that was slated very neatly with oyster-shells; and the Merrow, turning about to Jack, welcomed him down.
- To provide a film recording with synchronization information, especially using a slate (noun etymology 1, noun sense 2.3.1).
slate²
- /sleɪt/ US, UK
Sounds like Sleat · Rhymes with -eɪt
Where it comes from
The verb is probably derived from slate (“flake or piece of certain types of stone that tend to cleave into thin layers; fine-grained homogeneous sedimentary rock which cleaves easily into thin layers”, noun) (etymology 1; possibly alluding to the sharpness of such rock). The noun is derived from the verb.
verb slates · slating · slated
- To scold (someone) harshly; to chastise, to excoriate, to lambaste. "I'm awfully sorry if I gave it to her too hot; she deserved it; but i did not want to be a brute." / "But you were," said Pattie with grave regret. / "If I was, Val slated me hard enough. So we may cry quits over that!" said Gip, her gleam of repentance passing into space and her naughty passions o
-
To criticize or critique (an author or a work) harshly; to castigate.
The play was slated by the critics.
Similar: admonish, animadvert, bash, bawl out, tilt, clobber, cannonade, slash, lash, blame, scorch, blast
- To treat (an enemy) harshly. Now we shall get "slated," I thought, if there is any one there: a few good shots might have picked off every one on deck.
- To beat or thrash (someone) harshly. "Does John Barker live here?" asks Thurnall, putting his head in cautiously for fear of drunken Irishmen, who might be seized with the national impulse to "slate" him.
- To knock the hat of (someone) forward over their eyes as a joke. Another point of amusement is flying a tile or slating a man, as the phrases of the Stock Exchange describe it. […] One who was foremost in slating his brothers, or kicking about a new castor, had himself just sported a new hat, but, […] he would leave his new tile at the counting-house, and proceed
noun slates
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Synonym of slating (“a harsh criticism”).
[Thomas] Carlyle's savage "slate" of him [Frederick Marryat] is unjust to a degree which can only be palliated by the fact that it was founded on a hasty reading of his books in the evil days after the loss of the manuscript of the French Revolution.
Similar: slating
slate³
- /sleɪt/ US, UK
- /slet/ Scotland
Sounds like Sleat · Rhymes with (Received Pronunciation, General American) -eɪt
Where it comes from
From Middle English slaiten, slat, slate (“to set (a dog) on an animal”), from Old Norse *sleita, possibly related to Proto-Germanic *slītaną (“to tear apart”), further etymology unknown.
verb slates · slating · slated
- To set (one or more dogs) on a person or animal; to sic.
- To set one or more dogs on (a person or animal).
slate⁴
- /sleɪt/ US, UK
- /slet/ Scotland
Sounds like Sleat · Rhymes with (Received Pronunciation, General American) -eɪt
Where it comes from
Possibly borrowed from Scots slait, slate (“dirty, slovenly, or objectionable person”), further etymology unknown.
noun slates
- A dirty or slovenly person. Had aff [hold off], quoth ſhe, ye filthy Slate, / Ye ſtink o' Leeks, O figh!
Slate⁵
Where it comes from
Metonymic occupational surname for a slater.
proper noun Slates
- A surname. Kelly Slate packs a mirror in the back of a truck after her home was flooded in Planada on Wednesday, January 11.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: stone, talcose, range, roofing, plaque, shale, plate, table, blackboard, chalkboard, engine, tab, whiteboard, beef, list, poster
Translations
Every language
noun flake or piece of certain types of stone that tend to cleave into thin layers
| Deutsch | Schiefer |
|---|
noun fine-grained homogeneous sedimentary rock
| Español | pizarra |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 점판암 jeompanam |
| 日本語 | 粘板岩 nenbangan |
| 中文 | 板岩 bǎnyán |
| हिन्दी | स्लेट sleṭ |
| Português | ardósia |
| Français | ardoise |
| Deutsch | Plattenschiefer, Schiefer, Schieferplatte, Schieferstein, Tonschiefer |
| Italiano | ardesia |
| Ελληνικά | σχιστόλιθος schistólithos |
| Română | ardezie |
| Русский | аспи́д aspíd, аспи́дный сла́нец aspídnyj slánec, ши́фер šífer |
| العربية | أَرْدْوَاز ʔardwāz |
noun piece of such stone used as a tile for flooring, roofing, etc.; such tiles collectively; material from which they are made
| Español | pizarra |
|---|---|
| Português | ardósia |
| Français | ardoise |
| Deutsch | Dachschiefer, Dachschindel, Schieferplatte, Schiefertafel |
| Italiano | tegola d'ardesia |
| Ελληνικά | πλακίδιο plakídio |
| Română | placă de ardezie |
| Русский | ши́фер šífer, ши́ферная плита́ šífernaja plitá |
noun piece, originally of certain types of stone and now of other materials, often in a frame, used for writing on
| Español | pizarra |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 石板 sekiban |
| हिन्दी | स्लेट sleṭ |
| Português | ardósia, lousa |
| Français | ardoise |
| Deutsch | Schiefertafel, Tafel |
| Italiano | lavagna |
| Ελληνικά | πλάκα pláka |
| Română | tăbliță |
| Русский | гри́фельная доска́ grífelʹnaja doská |
noun sequentially numbered session of recording a film
| Español | claqueta |
|---|
noun information about a film recording which is inserted at the start of the recording
| Español | claqueta |
|---|
noun record of money owed
| Español | cuenta |
|---|---|
| Português | conta |
| Français | ardoise |
| Deutsch | Schuldentafel |
| Italiano | a credito, conto, conto aperto |
| Română | cont, notă de plată |
| Русский | долгова́я кни́га dolgovája kníga, счёт sčot |
noun group or list of candidates for appointment or election to an office; group of candidates or electors with affiliated political views
| Español | candidatos |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Liste, Kandidatenliste |
| Italiano | lista candidati |
| Română | listă electorală |
| Русский | спи́сок |
noun bluish-grey colour of most slate — see also blue-gray, slate blue, slate gray
| Français | ardoise |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Anthrazit, Blaugrau, Schiefergrau |
| Italiano | ardesia, grigio ardesia |
| Română | ardezie |
| Русский | ши́фер šífer |
adj having the bluish-grey colour of slate — see also blue-gray, slate blue, slate gray
| Deutsch | schiefergrau |
|---|---|
| Italiano | ardesia, grigio ardesia |
| Ελληνικά | σχιστόλιθος schistólithos |
verb (transitive) to expect (something) with a (strong) degree of certainty — see also anticipate, predict
| Español | destinar |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | bestimmen, vorsehen |
| Italiano | destinare, prevedere |
| Română | destina |
| Русский | предназнача́ть prednaznačátʹ, предназна́чить prednaznáčitʹ |
verb (transitive) to plan or schedule (something) — see also plan, schedule
| Español | fechar, fijar, programar |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | ansetzen, planen |
| Italiano | pianificare, prevedere, programmare |
| Română | planifica, programa |
| Русский | намеча́ть namečátʹ, наме́тить namétitʹ, назнача́ть naznačátʹ, назна́чить naznáčitʹ, плани́ровать planírovatʹ, сплани́ровать splanírovatʹ |
verb (transitive) to cover (a building, or part of a building) with slates; (intransitive) to cover a building or part of a building with slates
| Español | empizarrar |
|---|
verb to criticize or critique (an author or a work) harshly
| Español | vapulear, criticar duramente, vituperar |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | verreissen |
| Italiano | redarguire |
| Русский | раскритикова́ть raskritikovátʹ, устро́ить разно́с ustróitʹ raznós |
Talk about this word "slate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/slate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. slate. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/slate "slate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/slate.Cite this
@misc{slate_2026,
title = {slate},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/slate},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
