slacking


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slack 1

 (slăk)
adj. slack·er, slack·est
1. Not tense or taut; loose: a slack rope; slack muscles. See Synonyms at loose.
2.
a. Lacking in activity; not busy: a slack season for the travel business.
b. Moving slowly; sluggish: a slack pace.
3. Lacking in diligence or due care or concern; negligent: a slack worker. See Synonyms at negligent.
4. Flowing or blowing with little speed: a slack current; slack winds.
5. Linguistics Pronounced with the muscles of the tongue and jaw relatively relaxed; lax.
v. slacked, slack·ing, slacks
v.tr.
1.
a. To make looser or less taut: slacked the sail.
b. To make slower: slacked our pace.
2. To be careless or remiss in doing: slack one's duty.
3. To slake (lime).
v.intr.
1. To be or become slack.
2. To be inactive or avoid work: slacked around the house all day.
n.
1. A loose part, as of a rope or sail: hauled in the slack.
2. A period of little activity; a lull: a slack in business.
3.
a. A cessation of movement in a current of air or water.
b. An area of still water.
4. Unused capacity: still some slack in the economy.
5. slacks Casual pants that are not part of a suit.
adv.
In a slack manner: a banner hanging slack.
Phrasal Verb:
slack off
1. To decrease in activity or intensity.
2. To work less intensely than is required or expected: slacked off at work and started surfing the internet.
Idiom:
cut/give (someone) some slack
Slang To make an allowance for (someone), as in allowing more time to finish something.

[Middle English slak, from Old English slæc; see slēg- in Indo-European roots.]

slack′ly adv.
slack′ness n.

slack 2

 (slăk)
n.
A mixture of coal fragments, coal dust, and dirt that remains after screening coal.

[Middle English sleck.]

slack 3

 (slăk)
n. Chiefly British
1. A small dell or hollow.
2. A bog; a morass.

[Middle English slak, from Old Norse slakki.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.slacking - the evasion of work or dutyslacking - the evasion of work or duty    
dodging, escape, evasion - nonperformance of something distasteful (as by deceit or trickery) that you are supposed to do; "his evasion of his clear duty was reprehensible"; "that escape from the consequences is possible but unattractive"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
References in classic literature ?
But she had not reckoned on the untiring energy of the Saw-Horse, whose wooden limbs could run for days without slacking their speed.
Every executive wonders at some point whether particular employees are excelling or slacking. Often this question arises around the time that bonuses are given out.
Liner notes for Kaapana's first Dancing Cat album noted that "The Hawaiians quickly adopted the guitar into their culture, slacking the strings to create many ingenious tunings to suit their music.