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.

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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.

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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

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verb

1. (tr) to provide with slats

slat ² British  

/ slæt /

verb

1. (tr) to throw violently; fling carelessly

2. (intr) to flap violently

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noun

1. a sudden blow

slat ³ British  

/ slæt /

noun

1. a spent salmon

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Etymology

Origin of slat¹

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

They hand-scrub every little slat of the blinds.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 23, 2023

California artist Andrew Wharton intriguingly mingles natural and mechanical in a single thing: an eight-foot-long slat that was 3D printed with wood-infused plastic and coated with wood varnish.

From Washington Post • Feb. 10, 2023

When I picked up the birdhouse, a nail slipped out and a roof slat fell off.

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2021

He delivered his trip safety briefings at the escape hatch, a slat of wood that was lighter than a door.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 4, 2019

I felt each slat of wood through the thin pallet.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

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