slate

1 of 3

noun

1
: a piece of construction material (such as laminated rock) prepared as a shingle for roofing and siding
2
: a dense fine-grained metamorphic rock produced by the compression of various sediments (such as clay or shale) so as to develop a characteristic cleavage
3
: a tablet (as of slate) used for writing on
4
a
: a written or unwritten record (as of deeds)
started with a clean slate
b
: a list of candidates for nomination or election
5
a
: a dark purplish gray
b
: any of various grays similar in color to common roofing slates
slate adjective
slatelike adjective

slate

2 of 3

verb (1)

slated; slating

transitive verb

1
: to cover (something) with slate or a slatelike substance
slate a roof
2
: to designate (someone or something) for a specified purpose or action occurring especially at a fixed time
was slated to direct the play
The new model is slated [=scheduled] for release early next year.

slate

3 of 3

verb (2)

slated; slating

transitive verb

1
: to thrash or pummel severely
2
chiefly British : to criticize or censure severely

Examples of slate in a Sentence

Noun Some school blackboards are made of slate. The house has a slate roof.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Special counsel Jack Smith, however, has said the charges against Trump rest on stronger grounds because Trump allegedly schemed to submit false slates of electors to Congress. David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024 The agreement will see Fremantle and Fabula continue to work together with Fremantle’s CEO, global drama, Christian Vesper and Seb Shorr, COO, global drama, to develop a slate of original films and TV dramas. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Apr. 2024 Waukesha Friends of Retzer Nature Center's Earth Week Celebration Friends of Retzer Nature Center's Earth Week Celebration features a full slate of Earth friendly activities in Waukesha County from April 20-26. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2024 Democrats currently hold a 51-49 majority in the chamber, but are facing a slate of challenging races in 2024. Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024 During a week-long slate of shows at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, André was the headliner for the New Blue Sun tour, a monthslong trek highlighting his foray into being a flutist. Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Apr. 2024 Barry and his talented team have done an incredible job building a best-in-class unscripted slate for MGM which includes some of the mega-hits in the genre, such as The Voice, Survivor and Shark Tank. Michael Schneider, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024 This slate of new loan forgiveness proposals will also have to withstand potential legal challenges. Bo Erickson, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2024 California and the Sacramento area have taken the opposite approach, becoming, a sanctuary for trans individuals, and passing a slate of bills aimed at protecting LGBTQ youth and adults. Jenavieve Hatch, Sacramento Bee, 4 Apr. 2024
Verb
The couple’s other current series, Evil, is slated to end with its fourth season on Paramount+. Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024 Additional problems could arise if the Social Security system isn't shored up before its trust funds are slated to be depleted in 2033, which could lead to across-the-board benefit cuts. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2024 Rubrik, the data security company backed by Microsoft, is also slated to go public next week. Luisa Beltran, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024 The nine-county Bay Area is slated build more than 441,000 new homes by then to meet housing demands, a roughly 15% increase in the region’s total housing stock. Stephanie Lam, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024 As the Gaia project continues to develop its map of the Milky Way, the next installment of its data is slated to be published no sooner than 2025. Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2024 Pitcher Alec Marsh is slated to start opposite Dean Kremer at Kauffman Stadium. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2024 Young Sheldon airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, and the finale is slated to air May 16. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2024 Miami is slated to get a pair of third-round compensatory picks next year, which would offset the loss of next year’s third-rounder. Daniel Oyefusi, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'slate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sclate, slate, from Anglo-French *esclat, from esclater to splinter, break off, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German zesleizzen, slīzan to tear apart — more at slit

Verb (2)

probably alteration of slat entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of slate was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near slate

Cite this Entry

“Slate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slate. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

slate

1 of 2 noun
1
: a piece of construction material (as layered rock) prepared as a shingle for roofing and siding
2
: a dense fine-grained rock formed by compression of shales or other rocks that splits readily into thin layers or plates
3
: a tablet of material (as slate) used for writing on
4
a
: a written or unwritten record (as of deeds)
started with a clean slate
b
: a list of candidates for nomination or election
5
a
: a dark purplish gray
b
: a gray similar in color to common roofing slate
slate adjective
slatelike adjective

slate

2 of 2 verb
slated; slating
1
: to cover with slate or a slatelike substance
slate a roof
2
: to register or schedule for a special purpose or action
slate a meeting
slater noun

More from Merriam-Webster on slate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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