slat

1
[ slat ]
See synonyms for slat on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a long thin, narrow strip of wood, metal, etc., used as a support for a bed, as one of the horizontal laths of a Venetian blind, etc.

  2. Aeronautics. a control surface along the leading edge of a wing that can be extended forward to create a gap (slot ) to improve airflow.

  1. slats, Slang.

    • the ribs.

    • the buttocks.

    • Slats, a nickname for a tall, slender man.

verb (used with object),slat·ted, slat·ting.
  1. to furnish or make with slats

Origin of slat

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English sclat, slat(te “a roofing tile, slate,” from Middle French esclat “splinter, chip”; see origin at éclat

Words Nearby slat

Other definitions for slat (2 of 3)

slat2
[ slat ]

verb (used with object),slat·ted, slat·ting.
  1. to throw or dash with force.

verb (used without object),slat·ted, slat·ting.
  1. to flap violently, as sails.

noun
  1. a slap; a sharp blow.

Origin of slat

2
First recorded in 1200–50; of obscure origin; possibly from Old Norse sletta “to slap, splash”

Other definitions for S. Lat. (3 of 3)

S. Lat.

abbreviation
  1. south latitude.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use slat in a sentence

  • I put forth my strength, and a great slat several hundredweight fell into the sea with sullen splash.

    The Birthright | Joseph Hocking
  • A small hole in the slat and a string tied to latch and run through a hole in the door furnished the means of raising the latch.

    Fifty Years a Hunter and Trapper | Eldred Nathaniel Woodcock

British Dictionary definitions for slat (1 of 3)

slat1

/ (slæt) /


noun
  1. a narrow thin strip of wood or metal, as used in a Venetian blind, etc

  2. a movable or fixed auxiliary aerofoil attached to the leading edge of an aircraft wing to increase lift, esp during landing and takeoff

verbslats, slatting or slatted
  1. (tr) to provide with slats

Origin of slat

1
C14: from Old French esclat splinter, from esclater to shatter

British Dictionary definitions for slat (2 of 3)

slat2

/ (slæt) dialect /


verbslats, slatting or slatted
  1. (tr) to throw violently; fling carelessly

  2. (intr) to flap violently

noun
  1. a sudden blow

Origin of slat

2
C13: of Scandinavian origin; related to Old Norse, Icelandic sletta to slap

British Dictionary definitions for slat (3 of 3)

slat3

/ (slæt) /


noun
  1. Irish a spent salmon

Origin of slat

3
C19: of uncertain origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012