Slate

slāt, n. a highly metamorphosed argillaceous rock, fine-grained and fi ile, and of a dull blue, gray, purple, or green colour—used in thin slabs of small size for ordinary roofs, and in larger slabs for dairy-fittings, wash-tubs, cisterns, tables, ., and when polished for writing-slates and 'black-boards:' a piece of slate for roofing, or for writing upon: a preliminary list of candidates before a caucus.— adj. bluish-gray, slate-coloured.— v.t. to cover with slate: to enter on a slate.— ns. Slate′-axe , a slater's tool, a sax; Slate′-clay , a fi ile shale.— adjs. Slā′ted , covered with slates; Slate′-gray , of a light slate colour.— ns. Slate′-pen′cil , a cut or turned stick of soft slate, or of compre ed moistened slate-powder, for writing on slate; Slā′ter ; Slā′tine , the quality of being slaty; Slā′ting , the act of covering with slates: a covering of slates: materials for slating.— adj. Slā′ty , resembling slate: having the nature or properties of slate. [O. Fr. esclat —Old High Ger. slīzan , Ger. schlei en , to split.]