slate

plural slates · alternative sclate

1. A flake or piece of certain types of stone that tend to cleave into thin layers.
   1. countableuncountableA piece of such stone, usually cut into a rectangular shape, used as a tile for flooring, roofing, etc.; (uncountable) such tiles collectively, or the material from which they are made.

      In 1765 only 80 men were employed, and the annual output of slates did not exceed 1,000 tons, and large-scale quarrying was not begun by Lord Penrhyn until 1782.

      1945 May and June, Charles E. Lee, “The Penrhyn Railway and its Locomotives—1”, in Railway Magazine, page 138

      2 more examples

      Some of the minor Welsh 2 ft. gauge railways, we hear from Mr. N. F. G. Dalston, are enjoying a miniature boom owing to the demand for slate for the repair of damaged roofs.

      1941 March, “Notes and News: The Demand for Slate”, in Railway Magazine, page 141

      The necessary works were extensive and included replacing missing and damaged slates and other roof repairs (in order to make the building watertight), pointing and drainpipe replacement, and extensive replacement of rotten floorboarding.

      2021 December 15, Robin Leleux, “Awards honour the best restoration projects: The Southeastern Commercial Restoration Award: Appledore”, in RAIL, number 946, pages 56–57

   2. countableuncountableA piece of other material used as a roofing tile.
2. broadlycountableuncountableA generally rectangular piece, originally of certain types of stone and now of other materials, often in a frame, used for writing on with a thin rod of the same or another stone (a slate pencil) or with chalk; a small chalkboard.

   He wrote all down one side of the slate and all up the other, and then remarked--"As there's no time to finish that, The time has come to have our chat."

   1918, Norman Lindsay, The Magic Pudding, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 12

3. broadlycountableuncountablecomputingSynonym of tablet computer (“a hand-held portable computer in the form of a tablet with a touch screen interface”).

   Hearing Steve Ballmer and others talk about the availability of Windows 8 on slates, laptops, netbooks, notebooks, and screens from 7 to 70 inches might lead us to believe that Microsoft is attempting to gain market share solely through […]

   2012, Chris Sells, Brandon Satrom, Don Box, Building Windows 8 Apps with JavaScript

   Synonyms: tablet computer

4. Synonym of clapperboard (“a device consisting of a board on which information about a film being recorded is noted, and a hinged piece which is brought down on the board with a clap at the start and end of each take of the film; it is used to synchronize picture and sound during editing”).
   1. broadlycountableuncountablebroadcastingA sequentially numbered session of recording a film.
   2. broadlycountableuncountablebroadcastingInformation about a film recording which is inserted at the start of the recording, or printed on a videotape label etc.
5. countablefigurativelyuncountableA record, for example, of money owed.

   Put it on my slate—I’ll pay you next week.

   Synonyms: account, bill, tab

6. UScountablefigurativelyuncountableA range of things; also, a schedule.

   If it sounds like an impossibly busy slate, it turned out to be just that.

   2017 September 22, Douglass K. Daniel, Anne Bancroft: A Life, University Press of Kentucky, →ISBN

   1 more example

   The Chairman James Kaplan tended to his busy slate of record and film projects, while Mia, too, actively sought movie work, somewhat to her husband's chagrin.

   2015 October 29, James Kaplan, Sinatra: The Chairman, Hachette UK, →ISBN

7. UScountablefigurativelyuncountablebroadcastingA collection of films released during a certain period, either from one studio or from a certain film industry (such as Hollywood) as a whole.

   This overcrowded blockbuster slate has led to the death of the respectable mid-budget movie, which has arguably migrated to prestige television along with writers, directors and actors.

   2018 October 24, Darren Mooney, Christopher Nolan: A Critical Study of the Films, McFarland, →ISBN, page 86

   2 more examples

   Like many independents that have established a strong if narrow niche, Central Park says it prospers when "A" titles are in short supply, but Pascuzzi much prefers a crowded slate because of trickle-down economics.

   1998 July 11, “Sell-Through Survival Guide”, in Billboard, page 55

   MVL Film Finance LLC (MVL) was created to partially finance Marvel Studios' production of a slate of 10 live-action or animated films based on up to 10 of Marvel's comic book characters[…]

   2006 October 20, Frank J. Fabozzi, Henry A. Davis, Moorad Choudhry, Introduction to Structured Finance, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 336

8. UScountablefigurativelyuncountablegovernmentA group or list of candidates for appointment or election to an office; also, a group of candidates or electors with affiliated political views.

   They prepared a procommission slate that would ensure a smooth transition of power, but for political reasons Mayor Jones and the council refused to call the election.

   2014, Bradley Robert Rice, Progressive Cities, page 13

   1 more example

   Ice is one of a slate of young, idealistic candidates for Move Forward who have joined mainstream politics in the hope that this election allows Thailand to break the cycle of military coups […]

   2023 May 8, Jonathan Head, “Thailand election: The young radicals shaking up politics”, in BBC News (World)

9. uncountablegeographyA fine-grained homogeneous sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash which has been metamorphosed so that it cleaves easily into thin layers.

   The Penrhyn slate quarry possibly dates back to the sixteenth century, as it appears that in 1580 Sion Tudor asked the Bishop of Bangor for a shipload of slate.

   1945 May and June, Charles E. Lee, “The Penrhyn Railway and its Locomotives—1”, in Railway Magazine, page 138

   1. uncountablegeographyThe bluish-grey colour of most slate (etymology 1, noun sense 4).

      Synonyms: slate blue, slate gray, slate grey

comparative more slate · superlative most slate

1. Having the bluish-grey colour of slate (noun etymology 1, noun sense 4).

present singular third person slates · participle present slating · participle past slated · past slated

1. transitiveTo cover (a building, or part of a building such as a floor or roof) with slates (noun etymology 1, noun sense 1.1).

   The old church ledgers show that the roof was slated in 1775.

2. To write (something) on a writing slate (noun etymology 1, noun sense 2.1).
   1. USfigurativelytransitiveTo appoint or designate (someone or something); also, to nominate or propose (someone or something); specifically (politics), to nominate or propose (a candidate) for an office.
   2. USfigurativelytransitiveTo expect (something) with a (strong) degree of certainty; to anticipate, to predict.

      The next version of our software is slated to be the best release ever.

   3. USfigurativelytransitiveTo plan or schedule (something).

      The election was slated for November 2nd.

      1 more example

      The Cleethorpes to Barton-on-Humber branch had been slated to transfer from Northern into the East Midlands franchise, but this move is still awaiting a DfT decision.

      2019 October, Tony Miles, Philip Sherratt, “EMR kicks off new era”, in Modern Railways, page 58

3. transitivebroadcastingTo provide synchronization information about (a scene, take, etc., of a film recording) using a slate (noun etymology 1, noun sense 2.3.1).

   Why You Want to Slate your Shots

   2013, Rick Smith, Kim Miller, Shoot to Sell: Make Money Producing Special Interest Videos

4. transitiveTo scrape (an animal hide) with a slater (“blade originally made of slate”) to remove hairs.
5. intransitivetransitiveTo cover a building, or part of a building with slates (noun etymology 1, noun sense 1.1).

   They landed just in front of a nice little house that was slated very neatly with oyster-shells; and the Merrow, turning about to Jack, welcomed him down.

   1850, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, London: H.G. Bohn, page 531

6. intransitivebroadcastingTo provide a film recording with synchronization information, especially using a slate (noun etymology 1, noun sense 2.3.1).

present singular third person slates · participle present slating · participle past slated · past slated

1. transitiveTo scold (someone) harshly; to chastise, to excoriate, to lambaste.

   1 more example

   "I'm awfully sorry if I gave it to her too hot; she deserved it; but i did not want to be a brute." / "But you were," said Pattie with grave regret. / "If I was, Val slated me hard enough. So we may cry quits over that!" said Gip, her gleam of repentance passing into space and her naughty passions once more triumphant.

   1881, E[liza] Lynn Linton, “‘Other Eyes’”, in “My Love!” […], volume II, London: Chatto and Windus, […], →OCLC, pages 305–306

   1. UKtransitiveTo criticize or critique (an author or a work) harshly; to castigate.

      The play was slated by the critics.

      1 more example

      It makes me mad to hear that wretched Mouse, when he wants to slate a very good novel, declare that there is no romance in real life.

      1870, Ouida [pseudonym; Maria Louise Ramé], “Romances of the Row”, in Puck: His Vicissitudes, Adventures, Observations, Conclusions, Friendships, and Philosophies. […], volume II, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, pages 6–7

      Synonyms: admonish, animadvert, bash, bawl out, tilt, clobber, cannonade, slash

2. slangtransitivegovernmentTo treat (an enemy) harshly.

   Now we shall get "slated," I thought, if there is any one there: a few good shots might have picked off every one on deck.

   1885, Charles W[illiam] Wilson, “[Gubat to Omdurman]”, in From Korti to Khartum: A Journal of the Desert March from Korti to Gubat, and of the Ascent of the Nile in General Gordon’s Steamers, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, page 163

3. slangtransitiveTo beat or thrash (someone) harshly.

   "Does John Barker live here?" asks Thurnall, putting his head in cautiously for fear of drunken Irishmen, who might be seized with the national impulse to "slate" him.

   1857, Charles Kingsley, “The Broad Stone of Honour”, in Two Years Ago, volume III, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC, page 140

4. UKobsoletetransitiveTo knock the hat of (someone) forward over their eyes as a joke.

   1 more example

   Another point of amusement is flying a tile or slating a man, as the phrases of the Stock Exchange describe it. […] One who was foremost in slating his brothers, or kicking about a new castor, had himself just sported a new hat, but, […] he would leave his new tile at the counting-house, and proceed to the Stock Exchange in an old one kept for the purpose: this becoming known to some of the wags, members of the house, they despatched a note and obtained the new hat, which no sooner made its appearance in the house than it was thrown up for general sport; […]

   1825, Bernard Blackmantle [pseudonym; Charles Molloy Westmacott], “The Life, Death, Burial, and Resurrection Company”, in The English Spy: An Original Work, Characteristic, Satirical, and Humorous. […], volume II, London: Sherwood, Gilbert, and Piper, […], published 1826, →OCLC, pages 135–136

plural slates

1. datedtransitiveSynonym of slating (“a harsh criticism”).

   [Thomas] Carlyle's savage "slate" of him [Frederick Marryat] is unjust to a degree which can only be palliated by the fact that it was founded on a hasty reading of his books in the evil days after the loss of the manuscript of the French Revolution.

   1889, David Hannay, chapter X, in Eric S[utherland] Robertson, editor, Life of Frederick Marryat (Great Writers), London: Walter Scott, […]; New York, N.Y.; Toronto, Ont.: W. J. Gage & Co., →OCLC, page 157

   Synonyms: slating

present singular third person slates · participle present slating · participle past slated · past slated

1. Northern EnglandScotlandtransitiveTo set (one or more dogs) on a person or animal; to sic.
2. Northern EnglandScotlandtransitiveTo set one or more dogs on (a person or animal).

plural slates

1. Northern EnglandScotlandarchaicderogatoryobsoleteraretransitiveA dirty or slovenly person.

   Had aff [hold off], quoth ſhe, ye filthy Slate, / Ye ſtink o' Leeks, O figh!

   [1718, Allan Ramsay, “Christ’s-Kirk on the Green, in Three Cantos”, in Poems, 5th edition, Edinburgh: Printed for the author […] [and sold by T. Jauncy […]], published 1722, →OCLC, canto II, page 104

plural Slates · alternative Slates

1. A surname.

   Kelly Slate packs a mirror in the back of a truck after her home was flooded in Planada on Wednesday, January 11.

   2023 January 16, “California’s flooding, in pictures”, in CNN, archived from the original on 17 Mar 2023