Slaveholder Slave"hold`er noun One who holds slaves.

Slaveholding Slave"hold`ing adjective Holding persons in slavery.

Slaveocracy Slave·oc"ra·cy noun See Slavocracy .

Slaver Slav"er noun 1. A vessel engaged in the slave trade; a slave ship. 2. A person engaged in the purchase and sale of slaves; a slave merchant, or slave trader.

The slaver's hand was on the latch,
He seemed in haste to go.

Longfellow.

Slaver Slav"er intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Slavered ; present participle & verbal noun Slavering .] [ Confer Icelandic slafra . See Slabber .] 1. To suffer spittle, etc., to run from the mouth. 2. To be besmeared with saliva. Shak.

Slaver Slav"er transitive verb To smear with saliva issuing from the mouth; to defile with drivel; to slabber.

Slaver Slav"er noun Saliva driveling from the mouth.

Of all mad creatures, if the learned are right,
It is the slaver kills, and not the bite.

Pope.

Slaverer Slav"er·er noun A driveler; an idiot.

Slavering Slav"er·ing adjective Drooling; defiling with saliva. -- Slav"er*ing*ly , adverb

Slavery Slav"er·y noun ; plural Slaveries . [ See 2d Slave .] 1. The condition of a slave; the state of entire subjection of one person to the will of another.

Disguise thyself as thou wilt, still, slavery , said I, still thou art a bitter draught!

Sterne.

I wish, from my soul, that the legislature of this state [ Virginia] could see the policy of a gradual abolition of slavery . It might prevent much future mischief.

Washington. 2. A condition of subjection or submission characterized by lack of freedom of action or of will.

The vulgar slaveries rich men submit to.

C. Lever.

There is a slavery that no legislation can abolish, -- the slavery of caste.

G. W. Cable. 3. The holding of slaves. Syn. -- Bondage; servitude; inthrallment; enslavement; captivity; bond service; vassalage.

Slavey Slav"ey noun A maidservant. [ Colloq. & Jocose Eng.]

Slavic Slav"ic adjective Slavonic. -- noun The group of allied languages spoken by the Slavs.

Slavish Slav"ish adjective Of or pertaining to slaves; such as becomes or befits a slave; servile; excessively laborious; as, a slavish life; a slavish dependance on the great. -- Slav"ish*ly , adverb -- Slav"ish*ness , noun

Slavism Slav"ism noun The common feeling and interest of the Slavonic race.

Slavocracy Slav·oc"ra·cy noun [ Slave + -cracy , as in democracy .] The persons or interest formerly representing slavery politically, or wielding political power for the preservation or advancement of slavery. [ U. S.]

Slavonian Sla·vo"ni·an noun A native or inhabitant of Slavonia; ethnologically, a Slav.

Slavonian, Slavonic Sla·vo"ni·an, Sla·von"ic adjective 1. Of or pertaining to Slavonia, or its inhabitants. 2. Of or pertaining to the Slavs, or their language.

Slavophil, Slavophile Slav"o·phil, Slav"o·phile noun [ Slavic + Greek ......... loving.] One, not being a Slav, who is interested in the development and prosperity of that race.

Slaw Slaw noun [ Dutch sla , contr. from salade , OD. salaet , salad . See Salad .] Sliced cabbage served as a salad, cooked or uncooked.

Slaw, Slawen Slaw, Slaw"en obsolete past participle of Slee , to slay.

With a sword drawn out he would have slaw himself.

Wyclif (Acts xvi. 27.)

Slay Slay transitive verb [ imperfect Slew ; past participle Slain ; present participle & verbal noun Slaying .] [ Middle English slan , sl...n , sleen , slee , Anglo-Saxon sleán to strike, beat, slay; akin to OFries. slā , Dutch slaan , Old Saxon & Old High German slahan , German schlagen , Icelandic slā , Danish slaae , Swedish sl... , Goth. slahan ; perhaps akin to Latin lacerare to tear to pieces, Greek ............, English lacerate . Confer Slaughter , Sledge a hammer, Sley .] To put to death with a weapon, or by violence; hence, to kill; to put an end to; to destroy.

With this sword then will I slay you both.

Chaucer.

I will slay the last of them with the sword.

Amos ix. 1.

I'll slay more gazers than the basilisk.

Shak. Syn. -- To kill; murder; slaughter; butcher.

Slayer Slay"er noun One who slays; a killer; a murderer; a destroyer of life.

Slazy Sla"zy (slā"zȳ) adjective See Sleazy .

Sle Sle (slē) transitive verb To slay. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Sleave Sleave (slēv) noun [ Confer Danish slöif , a knot loop, Swedish slejf , German schleife a knot, sliding knot, and English slip , v.i.] (a) The knotted or entangled part of silk or thread. (b) Silk not yet twisted; floss; -- called also sleave silk .

Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleave of care.

Shak.

Sleave Sleave transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Sleaved (slēvd); present participle & verbal noun Sleaving .] To separate, as threads; to divide, as a collection of threads; to sley; -- a weaver's term.

Sleaved Sleaved (slēvd) adjective Raw; not spun or wrought; as, sleaved thread or silk. Holinshed.

Sleaziness Slea"zi·ness noun Quality of being sleazy.

Sleazy Slea"zy (slē"zȳ) adjective [ Confer German schleissig worn out, threadbare, from schleissen to slit, split, decay, or English leasy .] Wanting firmness of texture or substance; thin; flimsy; as, sleazy silk or muslin. [ Spelt also slazy .]

Sled Sled (slĕd) noun [ Akin to Dutch slede , German schlitten , Old High German slito , Icelandic sleði , Swedish släde , Danish slæde , and English slide , v. See Slide , and confer Sledge a vehicle, Sleigh .] 1. A vehicle on runners, used for conveying loads over the snow or ice; -- in England called sledge . 2. A small, light vehicle with runners, used, mostly by young persons, for sliding on snow or ice.

Sled Sled transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Sledded ; present participle & verbal noun Sledding .] To convey or transport on a sled; as, to sled wood or timber.

Sledding Sled"ding noun 1. The act of transporting or riding on a sled. 2. The state of the snow which admits of the running of sleds; as, the sledding is good.

Sledge Sledge (slĕj) noun [ Perhaps from sleds , plural of sled , confused with sledge a hammer. See Sled , noun ] 1. A strong vehicle with low runners or low wheels; or one without wheels or runners, made of plank slightly turned up at one end, used for transporting loads upon the snow, ice, or bare ground; a sled. 2. A hurdle on which, formerly, traitors were drawn to the place of execution. [ Eng.] Sir W. Scott. 3. A sleigh. [ Eng.] 4. A game at cards; -- called also old sledge , and all fours .

Sledge Sledge (slĕj) intransitive verb & t. [ imperfect & past participle Sledged (slĕjd); present participle & verbal noun Sledging .] To travel or convey in a sledge or sledges. Howitt.

Sledge Sledge noun [ Anglo-Saxon slecge ,from sleán to strike, beat. See Slay , transitive verb ] A large, heavy hammer, usually wielded with both hands; -- called also sledge hammer .

With his heavy sledge he can it beat.

Spenser.

Slee Slee (slē) transitive verb [ See Slay .] To slay. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Sleek Sleek (slēk) adjective [ Compar. Sleeker (-ẽr); superl. Sleekest .] [ Middle English slik ; akin to Icelandic slīkr , and Middle English sliken to glide, slide, German schleichen , Old High German slīhhan , Dutch slik , slijk , mud, slime, and English slink . Confer Slick , Slink .] 1. Having an even, smooth surface; smooth; hence, glossy; as, sleek hair. Chaucer.

So sleek her skin, so faultless was her make.

Dryden. 2. Not rough or harsh.

Those rugged names to our like mouths grow sleek .

Milton.

Sleek Sleek adverb With ease and dexterity. [ Low]

Sleek Sleek noun That which makes smooth; varnish. [ R.]

Sleek Sleek transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Sleeked ; present participle & verbal noun Sleeking .] To make even and smooth; to render smooth, soft, and glossy; to smooth over.

Sleeking her soft alluring locks.

Milton.

Gentle, my lord, sleek o'er your rugged looks.

Shak.

Sleek Sleek noun A slick.

Sleekly Sleek"ly adverb In a sleek manner; smoothly.

Sleekness Sleek"ness noun The quality or state of being sleek; smoothness and glossiness of surface.

Sleeky Sleek"y adjective 1. Of a sleek, or smooth, and glossy appearance. Thomson. 2. Fawning and deceitful; sly. [ Scot.]

Sleep Sleep obsolete imperfect of Sleep. Slept. Chaucer.

Sleep Sleep intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Slept ; present participle & verbal noun Sleeping .] [ Middle English slepen , Anglo-Saxon sl...pan ; akin to OFries. sl...pa , Old Saxon slāpan , Dutch slapen , Old High German slāfan , German schlafen , Goth. sl...pan , and German schlaff slack, loose, and Latin labi to glide, slide, labare to totter. Confer Lapse .] 1. To take rest by a suspension of the voluntary exercise of the powers of the body and mind, and an apathy of the organs of sense; to slumber. Chaucer.

Watching at the head of these that sleep .

Milton. 2. Figuratively: (a) To be careless, inattentive, or uncouncerned; not to be vigilant; to live thoughtlessly.

We sleep over our happiness.

Atterbury. (b) To be dead; to lie in the grave.

Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

1 Thess. iv. 14. (c) To be, or appear to be, in repose; to be quiet; to be unemployed, unused, or unagitated; to rest; to lie dormant; as, a question sleeps for the present; the law sleeps .

How sweet the moonlight sleep upon this bank!

Shak.

Sleep Sleep transitive verb 1. To be slumbering in; -- followed by a cognate object; as, to sleep a dreamless sleep. Tennyson. 2. To give sleep to; to furnish with accomodations for sleeping; to lodge. [ R.] Blackw. Mag. To sleep away , to spend in sleep; as, to sleep away precious time. -- To sleep off , to become free from by sleep; as, to sleep off drunkeness or fatigue.

Sleep Sleep noun [ Anglo-Saxon slǣp ; akin to OFries. slēp , Old Saxon slāp , Dutch slaap , Old High German slāf , German schlaf , Goth. slēps . See Sleep , intransitive verb ] A natural and healthy, but temporary and periodical, suspension of the functions of the organs of sense, as well as of those of the voluntary and rational soul; that state of the animal in which there is a lessened acuteness of sensory perception, a confusion of ideas, and a loss of mental control, followed by a more or less unconscious state. "A man that waketh of his sleep ." Chaucer.

O sleep , thou ape of death.

Shak. » Sleep is attended by a relaxation of the muscles, and the absence of voluntary activity for any rational objects or purpose. The pulse is slower, the respiratory movements fewer in number but more profound, and there is less blood in the cerebral vessels. It is susceptible of greater or less intensity or completeness in its control of the powers. Sleep of plants (Botany) , a state of plants, usually at night, when their leaflets approach each other, and the flowers close and droop, or are covered by the folded leaves. Syn. -- Slumber; repose; rest; nap; doze; drowse.

Sleep-at-noon Sleep"-at-noon" noun (Botany) A plant ( Tragopogon pratensis ) which closes its flowers at midday; a kind of goat's beard. Dr. Prior.

Sleep-charged Sleep"-charged` adjective Heavy with sleep.