slat

¹ American  

[slat] / slæt /

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.

3. Slang. slats,

   1. the ribs.

   2. the buttocks.

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

---

verb (used with object)

slatted, slatting

1. to furnish or make with slats

slat ² American  

[slat] / slæt /

verb (used with object)

slatted, slatting

1. to throw or dash with force.

---

verb (used without object)

slatted, slatting

1. to flap violently, as sails.

noun

1. a slap; a sharp blow.

slat ¹ British  

/ 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

---

verb

1. (tr) to provide with slats

slat ² British  

/ slæt /

verb

1. (tr) to throw violently; fling carelessly

2. (intr) to flap violently

---

noun

1. a sudden blow

slat ³ British  

/ slæt /

noun

1. a spent salmon

---

Etymology

Origin of slat¹

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

Origin of slat²

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

Explanation

A slat is a strip of wood or other thin material. The blinds that cover your windows are made up of slats. The horizontal slats in Persian or Venetian blinds are often made of plastic, fabric, or metal, and they can be adjusted to let light in or shut it out completely. Some wooden fences are made of slats as well, and bed frames often have slats that support the mattress placed on top of them. Slat was originally sclat, from the Old French esclat, "split, chip, or piece."

Example Sentences

The organization was founded in 2013 by 16-year-old Boyan Slat, a Dutch inventor and entrepreneur, with the aim of cleaning up 90 percent of floating ocean plastic pollution by 2040.

From Slate • Jan. 22, 2024

To remove plastic from oceans, governments should focus on just 1,000 polluted rivers, Boyan Slat writes.

From New York Times • May 25, 2023

“Its performance has exceeded our wildest expectations,” said Boyan Slat, founder and chief executive of the Ocean Cleanup.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2023

Trying to solve the world's ocean plastic pollution problem has been a "long and painful journey" for Dutch entrepreneur Boyan Slat.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2023

The next day he’d walked into the Slat and asked Per Haskell if he could use another soldier.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

Related Words

• bar
• bat
• baton
• cane
• club
• rod
• slab
• stalk
• strip
• wand
• wedge