Steep vs Slack - What's the difference?
steep | slack |
Of a near-vertical gradient; of a slope, surface, curve, etc. that proceeds upward at an angle near vertical.
(informal) expensive
(obsolete) Difficult to access; not easy reached; lofty; elevated; high.
(of the rake of a ship's mast, or a car's windshield) resulting in a mast or windshield angle that strongly diverges from the perpendicular
(ambitransitive) To soak an item (or to be soaked) in liquid in order to gradually add or remove components to or from the item
* Wordsworth
To imbue with something.
* Earle
A liquid used in a steeping process
A rennet bag.
(uncountable) Small coal; coal dust.
(countable) A valley, or small, shallow dell.
(uncountable) The part of anything that hangs loose, having no strain upon it.
(countable) A tidal marsh or shallow, that periodically fills and drains.
Lax; not tense; not hard drawn; not firmly extended.
Weak; not holding fast.
Remiss; backward; not using due diligence or care; not earnest or eager.
* Bible, 2 Peter iii. 9
Not violent, rapid, or pressing.
* {{quote-book, year=1928, author=Lawrence R. Bourne
, title=Well Tackled!
, chapter=3 (slang, West Indies) vulgar; sexually explicit, especially in dancehall music
Slackly.
To slacken.
* Robert South
(obsolete) To mitigate; to reduce the strength of.
* 1590 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , III.7:
to procrastinate; to be lazy
to refuse to exert effort
To lose cohesion or solidity by a chemical combination with water; to slake.
In obsolete terms the difference between steep and slack
is that steep is difficult to access; not easy reached; lofty; elevated; high while slack is to mitigate; to reduce the strength of.As adjectives the difference between steep and slack
is that steep is of a near-vertical gradient; of a slope, surface, curve, etc. that proceeds upward at an angle near vertical while slack is lax; not tense; not hard drawn; not firmly extended.As verbs the difference between steep and slack
is that steep is to soak an item (or to be soaked) in liquid in order to gradually add or remove components to or from the item while slack is to slacken.As nouns the difference between steep and slack
is that steep is a liquid used in a steeping process while slack is small coal; coal dust.As an adverb slack is
slackly.steep
English
Etymology 1
(etyl) . The sense of “sharp slope” is attested circa 1200; the sense “expensive” is attested US 1856.Adjective
(er)- a steep''' hill or mountain; a '''steep''' roof; a '''steep''' ascent; a '''steep barometric gradient
- Twenty quid for a shave? That's a bit steep .
- (Chapman)
- The steep rake of the windshield enhances the fast lines of the exterior. [http://www.utsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070303/news_lz1dd3maynard.html]
Synonyms
* brantEtymology 2
From (etyl) stepen, from (etyl) . More at (l).Verb
(en verb)- They steep skins in a tanning solution to create leather.
- The tea is steeping .
- In refreshing dew to steep / The little, trembling flowers.
- The learned of the nation were steeped in Latin.
- a town steeped in history
Derived terms
* (l)Noun
- Corn steep has many industrial uses.
References
slack
English
Noun
- (Raymond)
- The slack of a rope or of a sail.
Synonyms
* culm * (tidal marsh) sloughDerived terms
* (coal dust) nutty slackAdjective
(er)- a slack rope
- a slack hand
- slack in duty or service
- The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness.
- Business is slack .
citation, passage=“They know our boats will stand up to their work,” said Willison, “and that counts for a good deal. A low estimate from us doesn't mean scamped work, but just for that we want to keep the yard busy over a slack time.”}}
Synonyms
* slow, moderate, easyDerived terms
* slack-jawedAdverb
(-)- slack dried hops
Verb
(en verb)- In this business of growing rich, poor men should slack their pace.
- Ne did she let dull sleepe once to relent, / Nor wearinesse to slack her hast, but fled / Ever alike [...].
- Lime slacks .
