SLACK, a.

Small coat; coal broken into small pieces. – Eng.

A valley or small shallow dell. [Local.] – Grose.

Small coal under the size of an egg.

1. Not tense; not hard drawn; not firmly extended; as, a slack rope; slack rigging.
2. Weak; remiss; not holding fast; as, a slack hand.
3. Remiss; backward; not using due diligence; not earnest or eager; as, slack in duty or service; slack in business.
4. Not violent; not rapid; slow; as, a slack pace. – Dryden. Slack in stays, in seamen's language, slow in going about; as a ship. – Mar. Dict. Slack water, in seamen's language, the time when the tide runs slowly, or the water is at rest; or the interval between the flux and reflux of the tide. Mar. Dict.

Partially; insufficiently; not intensely; as, slack dried hops; bread slack baked. – Mortimer.

The part of a rope that hangs loose, having no stress upon it. – Mar. Dict.

1. Small coal; also, coal dust; culm.
   
   
   Raymond.
2. A valley, or small, shallow dell.
   
   
   [Prov. Eng.] Grose.
3. Weak; not holding fast; as, a slack hand.
   
   
   Milton.
4. Slackly; as, slack dried hops.
5. The part of anything that hangs loose, having no strain upon it; as, the slack of a rope or of a sail.
6. To become slack] to be made less tense, firm, or rigid; to decrease in tension; as, a wet cord slackens in dry weather.
7. To render slack; to make less tense or firm; as, to slack a rope; to slacken a bandage.
   
   
   Wycklif (Acts xxvii. 40)
8. Remiss; backward; not using due diligence or care; not earnest or eager; as, slack in duty or service.
   
   

   The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness. 2 Pet. iii. 9.

9. To be remiss or backward; to be negligent.
10. To neglect; to be remiss in.
    
    
    [Obs.] Shak.

    Slack not the pressage. Dryden.

11. Not violent, rapid, or pressing; slow; moderate; easy; as, business is slack.
    
    
    "With slack pace." Chaucer.

    C(?)sar . . . about sunset, hoisting sail with a slack southwest, at midnight was becalmed. Milton.

    Slack in stays (Naut.), slow in going about, as a ship. -- Slack water, the time when the tide runs slowly, or the water is at rest; or the interval between the flux and reflux of the tide. -- Slack-water navigation, navigation in a stream the depth of which has been increased, and the current diminished, by a dam or dams.

    Syn. -- Loose; relaxed; weak; remiss; backward; abated; diminished; inactive; slow; tardy; dull.

12. To lose cohesion or solidity by a chemical combination with water; to slake; as, lime slacks.
13. To deprive of cohesion by combining chemically with water; to slake; as, to slack lime.
14. To abate; to become less violent.
    
    

    Whence these raging fires
    Will slacken, if his breath stir not their flames. Milton.

15. 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.

16. To lose rapidity; to become more slow; as, a current of water slackens.
17. To cause to become less intense; to mitigate; to abate; to ease.
    
    

    To respite, or deceive, or slack thy pain
    Of this ill mansion. Milton.

    Air-slacked lime, lime slacked by exposure to the air, in consequence of the absorption of carton dioxide and water, by which it is converted into carbonate of lime and hydrate of lime.

18. To languish; to fail; to flag.
19. 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.