different between relieve vs slake

English

Etymology

From Old French relever, specifically from the conjugated forms such as (jeo) relieve (“I lift up”), and its source, Latin relevo (“to lift up, lighten, relieve, alleviate”), combined form of re- (“back”) + levo (“to lift”). Compare levant, levity, etc.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???li?v/
• Rhymes: -i?v

Verb

relieve (third-person singular simple present relieves, present participle relieving, simple past and past participle relieved)

1. (transitive) To ease (a person, person's thoughts etc.) from mental distress; to stop (someone) feeling anxious or worried, to alleviate the distress of. [from 14th c.]
2. (transitive) To ease (someone, a part of the body etc.) or give relief from physical pain or discomfort. [from 14th c.]
3. (transitive) To alleviate (pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.). [from 14th c.]
4. (transitive) To provide comfort or assistance to (someone in need, especially in poverty). [from 14th c.]
5. (obsolete) To lift up; to raise again. [15th-17th c.]
6. (now rare) To raise (someone) out of danger or from (a specified difficulty etc.). [from 15th c.]
7. (law) To free (someone) from debt or legal obligations; to give legal relief to. [from 15th c.]

   This shall not relieve either Party of any obligations.

8. To bring military help to (a besieged town); to lift the siege on. [from 16th c.]
9. To release (someone) from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc. [from 16th c.]
10. (military, job) To free (someone) from their post, task etc. by taking their place. [from 16th c.]
11. (now rare) To make (something) stand out; to make prominent, bring into relief. [from 18th c.]
    • 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, III.76:

      The henna should be deeply dyed to make / The skin relieved appear more fairly fair […]

    • 1927, Countee Cullen, From the Dark Tower:

      The night whose sable breast relieves the stark / White stars is no less lovely being dark

12. (reflexive) To go to the toilet; to defecate or urinate. [from 20th c.]

Synonyms

• (to alleviate pain, ease): liss

Derived terms

• relieve oneself

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• relieve in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• relieve in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /re?ljebe/, [re?lje.??e]

Noun

relieve m (plural relieves)

1. relief (protrusion)

Derived terms

Further reading

• “relieve” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

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