slate

[ sleyt ]

/ sleɪt /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: slate / slated / slating on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

a thin piece or plate of this rock or a similar material, used especially for roofing or as a writing surface.

slate gray.

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

verb (used with object), slat·ed, slat·ing.

to cover with or as with slate.

to write or set down for nomination or appointment: the district leader slated for city judge.

to plan or designate (something) for a particular place and time; schedule: The premiere was slated for January.

Chiefly British. to censure or criticize harshly or violently; scold.

to punish severely.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about slate

clean slate, an unsullied record; a record marked by creditable conduct: to start over with a clean slate.

Origin of slate

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English sclate, from Middle French esclate, feminine of esclat “piece split off”; see slat¹

Words nearby slate

slash-saw, Śląsk, slat, slat back, slatch, slate, slate black, slate blue, slate-colored junco, slated, slate gray

Other definitions for slate (2 of 2)

slate²

[ sleyt ]

/ sleɪt /

verb (used with object), slat·ed, slat·ing.British Dialect.

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

Origin of slate

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use slate in a sentence

It was originally slated for release in late 2019, said three people familiar with the process, and was delayed in part by the coronavirus pandemic.
Erased From the Trump Administration’s Draft of a Key Foreign Aid Policy: Any Mention of LGBT People|by Yeganeh Torbati|August 20, 2020|ProPublica
Municipal elections are slated to take place later this year, and electoral courts could use the new law to investigate political parties for improper accumulation and use of data, according to Zanatta of Data Privacy Brasil.
Brazil is sliding into techno-authoritarianism|Tate Ryan-Mosley|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Lawmakers have known for months that the payment was slated to expire at the end of July, but that deadline came and went.
What Economists Fear Will Happen Without More Unemployment Aid|Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux|August 11, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
The Heat were set to face a below-average strength of schedule if the regular season had continued apace, but they will now face the league’s second-toughest seeding-game slate.
Who’s Who In The NBA Bubble: The Potential Party-Crashers|Jared Dubin|July 23, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

A largely new slate of MTS board members is pushing for reform after years of public complaints about the agency’s aggressive ticketing.
The Police Reform Push Comes for MTS|Lisa Halverstadt and Jesse Marx|June 25, 2020|Voice of San Diego
In any case, I welcome the conversation as part of the review of the upcoming slate that we're doing tomorrow.
Inside Sony’s ‘Pineapple Express 2 Drama’: Leaked Emails Reveal Fight Over Stoner Comedy Sequel|William Boot|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Instead of wallowing in comedy exile, Slate was earning a book deal.
The Curious Little Shell That Restarted Jenny Slate’s Career|Luke Hopping|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So with the doors of late night closed to her, Slate had to scale down her ambitions to raise her profile.
The Curious Little Shell That Restarted Jenny Slate’s Career|Luke Hopping|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Less than a minute into her big break, Slate let slip a highly audible F-bomb instead of the scripted “freaking.”
The Curious Little Shell That Restarted Jenny Slate’s Career|Luke Hopping|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Will you work with Jenny Slate, John Daly, John Mulaney, etc. moving forward?
The Zany Shades of Nick Kroll|Abby Haglage|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The tower has four clock faces, pinnacles at the angles, and a steep slate roof and is 120 feet high.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
Slate slabs were originally tried for sleepers on the Birmingham and London line.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
John Tubbs was one day doing his sums, when little Sam Jones pushed against him; and down went the slate with a horrid clatter.
The Nursery, July 1873, Vol. XIV. No. 1|Various
Dinah had left her slate on 10 a chair, and dropped her algebra on the carpet, at the sound of Norahs voice below the window.
Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline|Jennie M. Drinkwater
Why send her a picture of a slate-colored cow when a herd of Durhams pastures every day right under her eye?
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd

British Dictionary definitions for slate (1 of 2)

slate¹

/ (sleɪt) /

noun

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
(as modifier)a slate tile

a roofing tile of slate

(formerly) a writing tablet of slate

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

mainly US and Canadian a list of candidates in an election

films

the reference information written on a clapperboard
informal the clapperboard itself

clean slate a record without dishonour

have a slate loose British and Irish informal to be eccentric or crazy

on the slate British informal on credit

wipe the slate clean informal to make a fresh start, esp by forgetting past differences

verb (tr)

to cover (a roof) with slates

mainly US to enter (a person's name) on a list, esp on a political slate

to choose or destinehe was slated to go far
to plan or schedulethe trial is slated to begin in three weeks

adjective

of the colour slate

Word Origin for slate

C14: from Old French esclate, from esclat a fragment; see slat 1

British Dictionary definitions for slate (2 of 2)

slate²

/ (sleɪt) /

verb (tr) informal, mainly British

to criticize harshly; censure

to punish or defeat severely

Word Origin for slate

C19: probably from slate 1

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

Scientific definitions for slate

slate

[ slāt ]

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.

Other Idioms and Phrases with slate

slate

In addition to the idiom beginning with slate

slated for, be

also see:

clean slate

slate

Idioms about slate

Origin of slate

Words nearby slate

Other definitions for slate (2 of 2)

Origin of slate

Words related to slate

How to use slate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for slate (1 of 2)

Word Origin for slate

British Dictionary definitions for slate (2 of 2)

Word Origin for slate

Scientific definitions for slate

Other Idioms and Phrases with slate