sley

1 of 2

noun

variants or slay or sleigh
plural -s
1
a
: a weaver's reed
b
: a movable frame in a loom that carries the reed
2
: a guideway in a knitting machine
3
: the number of warp ends per inch in a cloth
4
: a device in a lace machine that contains small holes through which some warp ends pass and is used in selecting the pattern

sley

2 of 2

transitive verb

"
-ed/-ing/-s
: to separate and arrange in a reed the threads of (the warp)
sleyer
-lāə(r)
-le(ə)r
-leə
noun
plural -s

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sleye, slay, from Old English slege, literally, act of beating, stroke; akin to Old High German slag blow, Old Norse slagr, Old English slēan to strike, beat, slay

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Dictionary Entries Near sley

Cite this Entry

“Sley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sley. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.

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