different between slack vs swack

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /slæk/
• Rhymes: -æk

Etymology 1

From Middle English slak, from Old English slæc (“slack”), from Proto-Germanic *slakaz. For sense of coal dust, compare slag.

Noun

slack (countable and uncountable, plural slacks)

1. (uncountable) The part of anything that hangs loose, having no strain upon it.

2. (countable) A tidal marsh or shallow that periodically fills and drains.
3. (uncountable, psychotherapy) Unconditional listening attention given by client to patient.
   • 1979, Richard Dean Rosen, Psychobabble (page 93)

     The counselor is directed to give his client "free attention," or "slack," performing a kind of vigil, a version of Carl Rogers's "unconditional positive regard."

   • 1983, Harvey Jackins, The Reclaiming of Power (page 14)

     We have apparently been doing this all our lives, since we were first distressed. This collection of ancient habits seems to be "energized" by the presence, or even the promise, of "slack" or free attention from any person in the situation […]

Synonyms

• (tidal marsh): slough

Translations

Adjective

slack (comparative slacker, superlative slackest)

1. (normally said of a rope) Lax; not tense; not firmly extended.

2. Weak; not holding fast.

3. Moderate in some capacity.
   1. Moderately warm.

   2. Moderate in speed.

4. lacking diligence or care; not earnest or eager.
5. Not active, successful, or violent.
6. Excess; surplus to requirements.

7. (slang, Caribbean, Jamaican) vulgar; sexually explicit, especially in dancehall music.
8. (linguistics) Lax.

Synonyms

• (not violent, rapid, or pressing): slow, moderate, easy

Derived terms

• slacken
• slack-jawed
• slackness

Translations

Adverb

slack (not comparable)

1. Slackly.

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English slakken, slaken, from Old English slacian, from Proto-Germanic *slak?n? (“to slack, slacken”).

Verb

slack (third-person singular simple present slacks, present participle slacking, simple past and past participle slacked)

1. To slacken.

   • In this business of growing rich, poor men […] should slack their pace.

2. (obsolete) To mitigate; to reduce the strength of.
3. To lose cohesion or solidity by a chemical combination with water; to slake.

Derived terms

• slack off

Translations

Etymology 3

Either from the adjective in Etymology 1 or the verb in Etymology 2.

Noun

slack (plural slacks)

1. (rail transport) A temporary speed restriction where track maintenance or engineering work is being carried out at a particular place.

Etymology 4

From Middle English slak, from Old Norse slakki (“a slope”). Cognate with Icelandic slakki, Norwegian slakke.

Noun

slack (plural slacks)

1. (countable) A valley, or small, shallow dell.

Etymology 5

Probably from German Schlacke (“dross, slag”). Doublet of slag.

Noun

slack (uncountable)

1. (mining) Small coal; coal dust.
   • 1905, Colliery Engineer (volume 25, page 107)

     One of the important improvements of recent years has been attained by mixing the peat pulp as it passes through the grinding machine, with other inflammable materials, such as bituminous coal dust, or slack […]

Synonyms

• culm

Derived terms

• nutty slack

Anagrams

• calks, kcals, lacks

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /swæk/

Etymology 1

From Scots swack, from Middle English swac (“weak”), from Old English *swæc (found in derivative swæceh?ow (“weakmindedness, nonsense”)), from Proto-West Germanic *swak (“weak”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian swäk, West Frisian swak, Dutch zwak, German Low German swack, German schwach.

Adjective

swack (comparative swacker, superlative swackest)

1. (Scotland) Lithe; nimble.
   • 1932, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Sunset Song, Polygon 2006 (A Scots Quair), p. 37:

     it came the turn of a brave young childe with a red head and the swackest legs you ever saw, […] and as soon as he began the drill you saw he'd carry off the prize.

Synonyms

• gracile, svelte, willowy; see also Thesaurus:slender and Thesaurus:flexible

Etymology 2

Unknown.

Noun

swack (plural swacks)

1. (slang) A large number or amount of something.

   She gave me a swack of books.

Etymology 3

Considered dialect by Wright, but now widespread. Scottish National Dictionary proposes an origin in Old Scots (Middle English) swak ("to throw violently"). Compare Scots swak, swack (“to throw with violent force, dash", also "a hard blow or whack”). Compare also Middle Dutch swacken (“to shake, wave”).

Noun

swack (plural swacks)

1. Synonym of smack
   1. A sharp blow.
   2. The sound of a sharp blow.
   3. A wet sound such as a loud kiss.
   4. A striking stimulus.
2. An attack, a swipe.
3. A single attempt or instance of taking action; a crack; a go.
4. clout; influence.
5. A gulp or hearty swallow.

Verb

swack (third-person singular simple present swacks, present participle swacking, simple past and past participle swacked)

1. To smack.
   1. To slap or hit.
   2. To make a swack (sound).
2. To consume with hearty enjoyment.
3. To labour; to exert an effort.

Adverb

swack (comparative more swack, superlative most swack)

1. With a swack, to the point of touching.

Etymology 4

Noun

swack (plural swacks)

1. A bum or petty thief.

References

• “swack” in the Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries.
• Wright, Joseph (1904) The English Dialect Dictionary?^[1], volume 5, Oxford: Oxford University Press, page 859

Anagrams

• Wacks, cawks, wacks

Lower Sorbian

Etymology

swak +? -k

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /swat?sk/

Noun

swack m

1. Diminutive of swak (brother-in-law)

Declension