different between still vs slack

still

English

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /st?l/
  • Rhymes: -?l

Etymology 1

From Middle English stille (motionless, stationary), from Old English stille (still, quiet, calm; without motion, at rest, not moving from a place, not disturbed; moving little or gently; silent; not loud; secret; unchanging, undisturbed, stable, fixed; not vehement, gentle), from Proto-West Germanic *still? (quiet, still), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)telH- (to be silent; to be still). Cognate with Scots stil (still), Saterland Frisian stil (motionless, calm, quiet), West Frisian stil (quiet, still), Dutch stil (quiet, silent, still), Low German still (quiet, still), German still (still, quiet, tranquil, silent), Swedish stilla (quiet, silent, peaceful), Icelandic stilltur (set, quiet, calm, still). Related to stall.

(noun: Falkland Islander): Military slang, short for still a Benny, since the military had been instructed not to refer to the islanders by the derogatory term Benny (which see).

Alternative forms

  • stil
  • stille, styll, stylle (obsolete)

Adjective

still (comparative stiller or more still, superlative stillest or most still)

  1. Not moving; calm.
  2. Not effervescing; not sparkling.
  3. Uttering no sound; silent.
    • c. 1711, Joseph Addison, How are thy Servants blest, O Lord!
      The sea that roared at thy command, / At thy command was still.
  4. (not comparable) Having the same stated quality continuously from a past time
  5. Comparatively quiet or silent; soft; gentle; low.
  6. (obsolete) Constant; continual.
Synonyms
  • (not moving): fixed, stationary, unmoving, static, inert, stagnant; see also Thesaurus:stationary or Thesaurus:immobile
  • (not effervescing): flat, uneffervescent; see also Thesaurus:noneffervescent
  • (uttering no sound): noiseless, soundless; see also Thesaurus:silent
  • (having the same stated quality):
  • (comparatively quiet): hushed, tranquil; see also Thesaurus:quiet
  • (constant, continual): incessant, ongoing, unremitting; see also Thesaurus:continuous
Derived terms
  • still life
  • stillness
  • unstill
Related terms
  • be still my heart
  • be still my beating heart
  • still waters run deep
Translations

Adverb

still (not comparable)

  1. Without motion.
  2. (aspect) Up to a time, as in the preceding time.
  3. (degree) To an even greater degree. Used to modify comparative adjectives or adverbs.
    ("still" and "taller" can easily swap places here)
  4. (conjunctive) Nevertheless.
    • 1817, Thomas Moore, Lalla-Rookh
      As sunshine, broken in the rill, / Though turned astray, is sunshine still.
  5. (archaic, poetic) Always; invariably; constantly; continuously.
    • The desire of fame betrays an ambitious man into indecencies that lessen his reputation; he is still afraid lest any of his actions should be thrown away in private.
    • 1661, Robert Boyle, Unsucceeding Experiments
      Chemists would be rich if they could still do in great quantities what they have sometimes done in little.
  6. (extensive) Even, yet.
Synonyms
  • (without motion): akinetically, motionlessly, stock still, stockishly
  • (up to a time): yet
  • (to an even greater degree): yet, even
  • (nevertheless): nonetheless, though, yet; see also Thesaurus:nevertheless
  • (always): consistently, invariably, uniformly; See also Thesaurus:uniformly
  • (even, yet):
Translations

Noun

still (plural stills)

  1. A period of calm or silence.
  2. (photography) A photograph, as opposed to movie footage.
  3. (slang) A resident of the Falkland Islands.
  4. A steep hill or ascent.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of W. Browne to this entry?)
Synonyms
  • (period of calm): lull, rest, respite; quiet, tranquility
  • (resident of the Falkland Islands): Benny, Falklander, Kelper
Translations

Etymology 2

Via Middle English [Term?], ultimately from Latin stilla.

Noun

still (plural stills)

  1. A device for distilling liquids.
  2. (catering) A large water boiler used to make tea and coffee.
  3. (catering) The area in a restaurant used to make tea and coffee, separate from the main kitchen.
  4. A building where liquors are distilled; a distillery.
Translations
See also
  • pot still

Etymology 3

From Old English stillan.

Verb

still (third-person singular simple present stills, present participle stilling, simple past and past participle stilled)

  1. To calm down, to quiet.
Synonyms
  • becalm, lull, quell; see also Thesaurus:pacify
Translations

Etymology 4

Aphetic form of distil, or from Latin stillare.

Verb

still (third-person singular simple present stills, present participle stilling, simple past and past participle stilled)

  1. (obsolete) To trickle, drip.
  2. To cause to fall by drops.
  3. To expel spirit from by heat, or to evaporate and condense in a refrigeratory; to distill.

Translations

Anagrams

  • Tills, lilts, tills

German

Etymology

From Middle High German [Term?], from Old High German stilli.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /?t?l/

Adjective

still (comparative stiller, superlative am stillsten)

  1. quiet, silent

Declension

Adverb

still

  1. quietly, silently

Further reading

  • “still” in Duden online

Hunsrik

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /?til/

Adjective

still

  1. quiet, silent

Further reading

  • Online Hunsrik Dictionary

Norwegian Bokmål

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /st?l/
  • Rhymes: -?l

Verb

still

  1. imperative of stille

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

Verb

still

  1. imperative of stilla

Etymology 2

Adjective

still (masculine and feminine still, neuter stilt, definite singular and plural stille, comparative stillare, indefinite superlative stillast, definite superlative stillaste)

  1. Alternative form of stille

Spanish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /es?til/, [es?t?il]

Noun

still m (plural stills)

  1. (photography) still

still From the web:

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  • what still remains during secondary succession
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  • what still here


slack

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

slack From the web:

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  • what slackline should i buy
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