slate

¹ American  

[sleyt] / sleɪt /

noun

slates plural

1. a fine-grained rock formed by the metamorphosis of clay, shale, etc., that tends to split along parallel cleavage planes, usually at an angle to the planes of stratification.

2. a thin, flat piece or plate of fine-grained, easily split rock or a similar material, used especially for roofing or as a writing surface.

3. slate gray.

4. a list of candidates, officers, etc., to be considered for nomination, appointment, election, or the like.

   He has added his name to the slate of mayoral candidates.

5. tablet.

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verb (used with object)

slated, slating

1. to cover with plates of fine-grained, easily split rock or a similar material.

   Our team has years of experience with slating and tiling roofs.

2. to write or set down for nomination or appointment.

   There are 39 lawyers hoping to be slated for judge.

3. to plan or designate (something) for a particular place and time; schedule.

   The premiere was slated for January.

4. Chiefly British. to censure, scold, or criticize harshly.

   She was slated by the press for making exaggerated claims in her memoir.

5. to punish severely.

idioms

1. clean slate, a record containing no negative reports, notes about bad behavior, reprimands, failures, etc..

   After a talk with the boss about his misconduct, he was allowed to start over with a clean slate.

slate ² American  

[sleyt] / sleɪt /

verb (used with object)

British Dialect.

slated, slating

1. to sic or set a dog on (a person or animal).

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slate ¹ British  

/ sleɪt /

noun

1. 1. a compact fine-grained metamorphic rock formed by the effects of heat and pressure on shale. It can be split into thin layers along natural cleavage planes and is used as a roofing and paving material

   2. ( as modifier )

      a slate tile

2. a roofing tile of slate

3. (formerly) a writing tablet of slate

4. a dark grey colour, often with a purplish or bluish tinge

5. a list of candidates in an election

6. films

   1. the reference information written on a clapperboard

   2. informal the clapperboard itself

7. a record without dishonour

8. informal to be eccentric or crazy

9. informal on credit

10. informal to make a fresh start, esp by forgetting past differences

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verb

1. to cover (a roof) with slates

2. to enter (a person's name) on a list, esp on a political slate

3. 1. to choose or destine

      he was slated to go far

   2. to plan or schedule

      the trial is slated to begin in three weeks

adjective

1. of the colour slate

slate ² British  

/ sleɪt /

verb

1. to criticize harshly; censure

2. to punish or defeat severely

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slate Scientific  

/ slāt /

1. A fine-grained metamorphic rock that forms when shale undergoes metamorphosis. Slate splits into thin layers with smooth surfaces. It ranges in color from gray to black or from red to green, depending on the minerals contained in the shale from which it formed.

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slate More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing slate

• clean slate

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• slates
  plural

Etymology

Origin of slate¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English sclate, from Middle French esclate, feminine of esclat “piece split off”; see slat ¹

Origin of slate²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English slaiten, from Old Norse sleita (unrecorded)

Explanation

Slate is a type of gray metamorphic rock that is made up of quartz and other minerals. The rock can be split into thin layers and the slate used for things like roofing tiles. In the past when paper was expensive, schoolchildren used slates to do their school work. These were usually made of actual slate rock. Students could practice their writing on the slate with a slate pencil. When they were done, the slate could be erased, which gave rise to the term "clean slate." If you've done things in the past you aren't proud of, you may hope to start over with a clean slate.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

slate slates slated slating

The developer Michael Pestronk in Philadelphia had just finished pitching investors on a slate of new real-estate conversion projects on Tuesday, when he noticed five missed calls.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

Overall, though, the 78th Emmy Awards nominations yielded a typical slate of choices.

From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026

Netflix is pushing deeper into the short-form video territory dominated by TikTok and YouTube, striking licensing deals with a slate of major US media publishers to carry bite-sized content on its platform.

From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026

They are the ones who help fill massive NFL stadiums for “El Tri’s” annual MexTour, a slate of mostly inconsequential friendly matches that are often seen as a cash grab for the Mexican Football Federation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

I stood on the gray slate stoop in front of him.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

They’re not cardboard cutouts, exactly, but they’re blank enough slates for us to project onto.

From Slate ● Mar. 13, 2026

Ellison noted that the company was in the midst of ramping up spending by $1.5 billion to build out its theatrical and television content slates.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 25, 2026

They did their jobs, but they were kind of blank slates and you never saw them in the news after they retired.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 2, 2026

Starting the season early will allow for USC to add an extra bye week, while most Big Ten schools are working with just one during their 2026 slates.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2026

Mediums read messages through sealed envelopes or made spirit messages appear on blank slates.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

New York Fed President John Williams is slated to speak at 9 a.m. and Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan at 1:30 p.m.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026

The Europeans made plans to meet again, this time on Feb. 12, in a Belgian castle built by the Knights Templar, for a discussion Costa slated under “a new geoeconomic context.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

And yet, that’s just what Madonna spent the last few years trying to do, writing the treatment for her own biopic at Universal Studios, which she was also slated to direct.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

The event, formally known as the Salute to America 250 Celebrations & Fireworks - is slated to begin at 19:00 local time, with Trump expected to speak a few hours later at approximately 21:45e.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

The race, slated for August 12, would be run over a mile and an eighth.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

"He was slating Nicola, saying she was lying," said Becky, who then discussed the investigation with another victim, who we're referring to as Charlotte.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2023

The Legislature voted this year to ban most private detention facilities in the state, slating the detention center for closure in 2025, when its contract with the federal government ends.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 11, 2021

Network executives were already tinkering with the reinvention, but slating “Nashville” for a January premiere helped speed up the process.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2017

She skipped Thursday’s candidate slating, saying party leaders haven’t favored her before and weren’t going to pick her.

From Washington Times ● Jan. 14, 2016

But a fool of a critic took it into his head to give you a thorough slating.

From Rosa Mundi and Other Stories by Dell, Ethel M. (Ethel May)

Related Words

• ballot
• roster