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.

---

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).

---

slate ¹ British  

/ sleɪt /

verb

1. to criticize harshly; censure

2. to punish or defeat severely

---

slate ² 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

---

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 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.

---

slate More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing slate

• clean slate

---

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

This allows them to retain their core information but wipe the slate clean with tracking their spending.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

A political novice, Darline is a blank slate and has been notoriously press-shy since taking office.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

And Szoboszlai agreed it is a clean slate for everyone in the squad before Liverpool begin their Premier League season at Newcastle United on 23 August.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

A clean slate against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field was a chance to set a new tone after being swept by the Boston Red Sox at home.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

I picked up the “G” and returned it to my slate of letters, leaving “S” and “O.”

From "Kira-Kira" by Cynthia Kadohata

The new nominating process will see the 16 county parties elect slates of delegates, 601 in total, who will in turn vote to select the new nominee at a July 25 convention in Bangor.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026

Under Italian corporate rules, shareholders vote for competing slates of directors rather than individual candidates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026

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

From Slate ● Mar. 13, 2026

Approaching holiday slates with unique angles appears to be working for the networks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 18, 2025

Exhausted, Penelope hustled the children back to the nursery and made them copy alphabets on slates with their slate pencils, while she drank three cups of milky tea to settle her nerves.

From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood

The Lincoln has been at sea since 11 December on a deployment that was initially slated to end in May, tracking data compiled by BBC Verify shows.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Google’s latest Gemini 3.5 Pro model was originally slated for a June launch but still has yet to be released.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

Target is scheduled to report second-quarter financial results on Aug. 19, and Walmart is slated to report the following day.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

The company is slated to report results later Monday.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

As usual, District 12 is slated to go last.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

But the slating from fans has made Neymar reconsider his future, and attracted fresh blasts for his attitude.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 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

Interesting watching all the local news people at Bolton slating the Andy Kellett transfer around an hour and a half before it was completed.

From BBC ● Feb. 2, 2015

He was on the highest scaffold one morning, superintending the slating of the roof, when, hearing Cavanaugh shouting on the sidewalk below, he glanced down.

From The Cottage of Delight A Novel by Will N. (William Nathaniel) Harben

Related Words

• ballot
• roster