Definitions for slackness

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Random House Webster's College Dictionary

slackslæk(adj.; adv.; n.; v.)slack•er, slack•est

  1. (adj.)not tight, taut, firm, or tense; loose:

    a slack rope.

  2. negligent; careless; remiss.

  3. slow, sluggish, or indolent:

    slack in answering letters.

  4. not active or busy; dull; not brisk:

    the slack season in an industry.

  5. moving very slowly, as the tide, wind, or water.

  6. weak; lax.

  7. (adv.)in a slack manner.

  8. (n.)a slack condition or part.

  9. the part of a rope, sail, or the like, that hangs loose, without strain upon it.

  10. a decrease in activity, as in business or work.

  11. a period of decreased activity.

  12. a cessation in a strong flow, as of a current.

    Category: Oceanography

  13. (v.t.)to be remiss in respect to (some matter, duty, right, etc.); shirk; leave undone.

  14. to make or allow to become less active, vigorous, intense, etc.; relax (efforts, labor, speed, etc.) (often fol. by up).

  15. to make loose, or less tense or taut, as a rope; loosen (often fol. by off or out).

  16. (v.i.)to be remiss; shirk one's duty or part.

  17. to become less active, vigorous, rapid, etc. (often fol. by up or off).

  18. to become less tense or taut, as a rope; ease off.

Origin of slack:

bef. 900; ME slac (adj.), OE sleac, slæc, c. OS slak, OHG slach, ON slakr; akin to L laxuslax

slack′ness(n.)

slackslæk(n.)

  1. the fine screenings of coal.

    Category: Mining

Origin of slack:

1400–50; late ME sleck

Princeton's WordNet

  1. inanition, lassitude, lethargy, slackness(noun)

    weakness characterized by a lack of vitality or energy

  2. slack, slackness(noun)

    the quality of being loose (not taut)

    "he hadn't counted on the slackness of the rope"

  3. laxness, laxity, remissness, slackness(noun)

    the quality of being lax and neglectful

Wiktionary

  1. slackness(Noun)

    The state of being slack; the quality of having slack.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Slackness(noun)

    the quality or state of being slack


Translations for slackness

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary

slackness(noun)

to make or become less busy, less active or less fast

The doctor told him to slacken up if he wanted to avoid a heart-attack.

Get even more translations for slackness »


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