different between diminish vs slake

English

Etymology

Formed under the influence of both diminue (from Old French diminuer, from Latin d?minuo) and minish.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??m?n??/

Verb

diminish (third-person singular simple present diminishes, present participle diminishing, simple past and past participle diminished)

1. (transitive) To make smaller.
2. (intransitive) To become smaller.
3. (transitive) To lessen the authority or dignity of; to put down; to degrade; to abase; to weaken; to nerf (in gaming).
   • 1611, King James Version of the Bible, Ezekiel 29:15,^[1]

     It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations.

   • 1639, Ralph Robinson (translator), Utopia by Thomas More, London, Book 2, “Of their journying or travelling abroad,” p. 197,^[2]

     […] this doth nothing diminish their opinion.

   • 1674, John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 4, lines 32-35,^[3]

     O thou, that, with surpassing glory crowned,

     Lookest from thy sole dominion like the God

     Of this new world; at whose sight all the stars

     Hide their diminished heads; to thee I call,

   • 1961, V. S. Naipaul, A House for Mr Biswas, London: André Deutsch, Chapter 3,

     In Seth’s presence Mr Biswas felt diminished. Everything about Seth was overpowering: his calm manner, his smooth grey hair, his ivory holder, his hard swollen forearms […]

4. (intransitive) To taper.
   • 1853, Elizabeth Gaskell, Cranford, London: J.M. Dent, 1904, Chapter 8, p. 120,^[4]

     The chair and table legs diminished as they neared the ground, and were straight and square in all their corners.

5. (intransitive) To disappear gradually.
   • 1948, Graham Greene, The Heart of the Matter, Penguin, 1971, Part Two, Chapter 2, 1, p. 77,^[5]

     ‘Good evening, good evening,’ Father Rank called. His stride lengthened and he caught a foot in his soutane and stumbled as he went by. ‘A storm’s coming up,’ he said. ‘Got to hurry,’ and his ‘ho, ho, ho’ diminished mournfully along the railway track, bringing no comfort to anyone.

6. (transitive) To take away; to subtract.
   • 1611, King James Version of the Bible, Deuteronomy 4:2,^[6]

     Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

Antonyms

• improve, repair, renovate

Derived terms

• diminishment
• law of diminishing returns

Related terms

• diminution

Translations

Anagrams

• minidish

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /sle?k/
• Rhymes: -e?k

Etymology 1

From Middle English slaken (“to render slack, to slake”), from Middle English sleacian, from sleac (“slack”).

The modern Swedish verb släcka retains most of the same meanings as listed below, as in släcka sin törst (“quench one's thirst”), släcka elden (“put out the fire”), and släckt kalk (“slaked lime”).

Verb

slake (third-person singular simple present slakes, present participle slaking, simple past and past participle slaked)

1. (transitive) To satisfy (thirst, or other desires). [from 14^thc.]

   Synonyms: quench, extinguish
2. (transitive) To cool (something) with water or another liquid. [from 14^thc.]
   • 1961, Lawrence Durrell, Justine, p.14:

     Notes for landscape tones. Long sequences of tempera. Light filtered through the essence of lemons. An air full of brick-dust - sweet smelling brick dust and the odour of hot pavements slaked with water.

3. (intransitive) To become mixed with water, so that a true chemical combination takes place.

5. (transitive) To mix with water, so that a true chemical combination takes place.

6. (intransitive, obsolete) Of a person: to become less energetic, to slacken in one's efforts. [11^th-17^thc.]
7. (intransitive, obsolete) To slacken; to become relaxed or loose. [11^th-16^thc.]
   • 1595, John Davies, Orchestra

     When the body's strongest sinews slake.

8. (intransitive, obsolete) To become less intense; to weaken, decrease in force. [14^th-19^thc.]
9. (intransitive, obsolete) To go out; to become extinct.
   • 1613, William Browne, Britannia's Pastorals

     His flame did slake.

Derived terms

• slaked
• slake trough

Translations

Etymology 2

Probably connected with Icelandic sleikja, "to lick", and German schlecken (“to lick”).

Verb

slake (third-person singular simple present slakes, present participle slaking, simple past and past participle slaked)

1. (transitive, Scotland) To besmear.

Noun

slake (plural slakes)

1. (Scotland) A sloppy mess.

Anagrams

• Akels, LASEK, Lakes, Leaks, kales, lakes, leaks

Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

slake

1. definite singular/plural of slak

Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

slake

1. definite singular/plural of slak