Make Your Point > Archived Issues > SLAKE
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connect this word to others:
Like a shot of tequila, a strong verb gets the job done fast.
Consider quell, quash, and slake, each meaning "to quench something fiery, like thirst."
Let's recall another synonym of slake: s_te. (Or if you'll tolerate a few more syllables, satiate.)
If your thirst for powerful verbs (or tequila, or chocolate milk, or what have you) is slakeless, it's ins__iable.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
make your point with...
"SLAKE"
To slake a fire is to pour liquid on it to put it out. And to slake a thirst is to quench or satisfy that thirst in a cool, refreshing, relieving way, as if the thirst is a fire that's being put out.
Pronunciation:
SLAKE
(rhymes with "flake")
Part of speech:
Verb, the transitive kind: "he slaked his thirst," "she slaked her curiosity."
Other forms:
slaked, slaking; unslaked, slakeless
How to use it:
This word is dramatic and a bit old-fashioned.
Talk about the drinks that slake our thirst, or the drinks that slake our lips, mouths, or throats.
And, talk about the abstract things (like events, information, interactions, conversations, experiences, books, music, and movies) that slake our thirst, or that slake our hunger, desire, curiosity, passion, heart, soul, spirit, etc.
examples:
"Copper, granite, concrete and marble are slaking people's thirst for interiors that don't look like wearying generic condos."
— Catherine Romano, Wall Street Journal, 1 June 2018
"With throats unslaked, with black lips baked,
We could nor laugh nor wail..."
— Samuel Coleridge, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," 1798
has this page helped you understand "slake"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "slake" without saying "quench" or "relieve."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "With _____, I finally slaked my thirst for _____."
Example: "With a day off from classes and the just-released set of every Firefly episode on DVD, I finally slaked my thirst for space cowboy drama."
before you review, play:
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
Quintessential TV Quotes!
Each day, match the given vocabulary word to the quote that best illustrates it.
From the previous issue:
From Futurama, which quote below illustrates jadedness?
Quote A:
Bender: You may have to metaphorically make a deal with the devil. And by "devil," I mean Robot Devil. And by "metaphorically," I mean get your coat.
Quote B:
Leela: As unclean as it makes me feel, I agree with Bender. Kids don't turn rotten just because of what they see on TV.
Fry: Yeah. Give a little credit to our public schools.
Quote C:
Professor Farnsworth: Remember, we need to show these people that we are not bitter husks of human beings who long ago abandoned hope of finding love in this lifetime. Leela, you'll have to do some acting.
Leela: Check.
Answer: In quote C, Farnsworth and Leela reveal how jaded they are.
Try this last one today:
From Monty Python's Flying Circus, which quote below illustrates a fusillade?
Quote A:
Interviewer: Was there anything unusual about Dinsdale?
Woman: Certainly not! He was perfectly normal in every way! Except... inasmuch as he thought he was being followed by a giant hedgehog named Spiny Norman.
Quote B:
Mr. Praline: It's not pining, it's passed on! This parrot is no more! It has ceased to be! It's expired and gone to meet its maker! This is a late parrot! It's a stiff! Bereft of life, it rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed it to the perch, it would be pushing up the daisies! It's run down the curtain and joined the choir invisible! This is an ex-parrot!
Quote C:
Head Waiter: This is a vegetarian restaurant; we serve no meat of any kind. We're not only proud of that, we're smug about it.
review this word:
1. The exact opposite of SLAKED is UNSLAKED.
But a close opposite of SLAKED is
A. SERE.
B. VISCERAL.
C. BROMIDIC.
2. According to Maslow, only when our _____ have been slaked can we focus on our _____.
A. basic physiological needs .. psychosocial ones
B. childhood theories about the world .. sense of reality
C. relationships with family and friends .. need for accomplishment
a final word:
Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From Liesl's blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
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Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Like a shot of tequila, a strong verb gets the job done fast.
"SLAKE" To slake a fire is to pour liquid on it to put it out. And to slake a thirst is to quench or satisfy that thirst in a cool, refreshing, relieving way, as if the thirst is a fire that's being put out.
"Copper, granite, concrete and marble are slaking people's thirst for interiors that don't look like wearying generic condos."
Explain the meaning of "slake" without saying "quench" or "relieve."
Fill in the blanks: "With _____, I finally slaked my thirst for _____."
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
1. The exact opposite of SLAKED is UNSLAKED.
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