ENGLISH
REFERENCE

slater

n. countable
C2 Proficiency US //ˈsɫeɪtɝ// UK //slˈeɪtɐ// slater

n. a small, grey creature with a hard shell that lives in damp places like under rocks. You might also know it as a woodlouse or a pill bug.

n. a terrestrial isopod crustacean with a segmented, greyish exoskeleton, typically found in moist environments. Common in British, Australian, and New Zealand English as a regional synonym for woodlouse.


SIMPLE

I found a slater under the flower pot.

CONTEXTUAL

Lifting the damp log revealed a colony of slaters scurrying away from the light.

COMPLEX

While often mistaken for insects, the slater is actually a crustacean that has adapted to life on land, though it still requires a humid habitat to breathe through its gills.

Synonyms
Usage

Primarily used in Scotland, Australia, and New Zealand; speakers in other regions may prefer 'woodlouse' or 'pill bug'.

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