slate
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a dark grey rock that can be easily split into thin, flat layers.
n.a fine-grained, foliated metamorphic rock that cleaves into thin, durable sheets.
Simple“The old cottage had a roof made of heavy grey slate.”
In context“Geologists identified the formation as high-quality slate, noting its characteristic cleavage and mineral composition.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a small, framed chalkboard used in the past for writing on with chalk.
n.a tablet of slate used for writing, historically common in schools before the widespread use of paper.
Simple“The students in the old schoolhouse wrote their sums on a small slate.”
In context“The museum display featured a nineteenth-century slate and pencil, illustrating the rudimentary tools available to rural schoolchildren.”
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
n.a list of people running for an election or a group of planned events.
n.a list of candidates for an election or a scheduled series of events or products.
Simple“The party announced a full slate of candidates for the local elections.”
In context“The studio's upcoming slate of films includes three high-budget sequels and two original dramas.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
v.to criticize a person, book, or film very strongly and publicly.
v.to subject to severe or hostile criticism; to lambaste.
Simple“The critics slated the new play, calling it a waste of time.”
In context“The tabloid press slated the minister's performance during the debate, focusing on his inability to answer direct questions.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to plan for something to happen at a particular time.
v.to designate or schedule for a specific time or purpose.
Simple“The new library is slated to open next summer.”
In context“The renovation project is slated for completion by the end of the fiscal year, provided the funding remains stable.”
- 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.having a dark, bluish-grey colour.
adj.of a dark grey colour with a slight blue tint, resembling slate rock.
Simple“The sky was a cold, slate grey just before the storm began.”
In context“The designer chose a slate blue for the office walls to create a professional yet calming atmosphere.”
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.
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.
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.
Possibly borrowed from Scots slait, slate (“dirty, slovenly, or objectionable person”), further etymology unknown.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.