slake

verb

ˈslāk 

intransitive sense 2 & transitive sense 3 are also

ˈslak 

slaked; slaking

intransitive verb

1

archaic : subside, abate

2

: to become slaked : crumble

lime may slake spontaneously in moist air

transitive verb

1

archaic : to lessen the force of : moderate

2

: satisfy, quench

slake your thirst

will slake your curiosity

3

: to cause (a substance, such as lime) to heat and crumble by treatment with water : hydrate

Did you know?

Have no fear, the Word of the Day is here to slake your thirst for knowledge. The uses of slake are varied and fluid. Its most common meaning is synonymous with satisfy or quench—one can slake anything from curiosity to literal thirst. In chemistry, slake can mean "to cause a substance to heat and crumble by treatment with water," and is used specifically in the noun phrase slaked lime, which refers to a compound used in binding agents such as plaster and cement. The word has some obsolete meanings as well: in Shakespearean times, slake meant "to subside or abate" or "to lessen the force of." The most erudite word enthusiasts may also be aware of earlier meanings of slake, such as "to slacken one’s efforts" or "to cause to be relaxed or loose." These early meanings recall the word’s Old English ancestor sleac, which not only meant "slack" but is also slack’s source.

Synonyms

• assuage
• quench
• sate
• satiate
• satisfy

Examples of slake in a Sentence

trying to slake his curiosity

a harrowing experience while mountain climbing has largely slaked my desire for high adventure

Recent Examples on the Web

All of that winter moisture had simply sunken or slaked the thirsty vegetation, and vanished. —Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 22 Sep. 2024

China’s impressive portfolio of developmental accomplishments has never been able to fully slake this longing of party leaders to win the acceptance and respect of the very countries that, because of their censoriousness, China simultaneously treats as adversaries. —Orville Schell, Foreign Affairs, 6 Feb. 2022

While fans continue the seemingly interminable wait for the proper follow-up to 2008’s 4:13 Dream, The Cure will slake their thirst for new music in October with the release of live versions of two new songs. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 30 Aug. 2024

Delegates leaving the Fiserv Forum at the end of a marathon session, aglow in their souls but parched in their throats, had to travel less than fifty yards before reaching the oasis of a booth, where thirsts could be slaked with a cooling draft of Lakefront Hazy Rabbit. —Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 25 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English slacian, from sleac slack

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing slake

• slake one's/someone's thirst

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Kids Definition

slake

verb

ˈslāk 

 senses 3 & 4 are also  ˈslak

slaked; slaking

1

archaic : abate, moderate

2

: to relieve or satisfy with water or liquid : quench

slaked our thirst

3

: to become slaked

4

: to cause (lime) to heat and crumble by treatment with water