| 释义 |
▪ I. ‖ ˈslacken, n.
Also 8 slaken, 9 -in.
[ad. G. schlacken, var. schlacke dross of metal, etc.]
Slag.
There is no evidence that the word has ever had any real currency in English.
1670Phil. Trans. V. 1197 They ordinarily melt it..by the help of Iron-stone..and Slacken (a scum or cake taken off from the top of the pan, into which the melted Minerals run). 1693Sir T. P. Blount Nat. Hist. 233 To this..they add Limestone and Slacken, and Melt them together. a1744Lucas in Trans. Cumb. & Westm. Archaeol. Soc. VIII. 36 Slaken as the Germans call them, or old Cinders, which they here call Forest Cinders. [1753Chambers' Cycl. Suppl., Slacken, in metallurgy, a term used by the miners to express a spungy and semivitrified substance (etc. Hence in later Dicts.). 1837L. Hebert Engin. Encycl. II, Slakin, a term used by smelters to express a spongy, semi-vitrified substance, which they mix with the ores of metal, to prevent their fusion. (Hence in Francis, Knight, etc.)]
▪ II. slacken, v.|ˈslæk(ə)n|
[f. slack a. Cf. the rarer slaken v., and Icel., Norw., and Sw. slakna (older Da. slagne).]
I. trans.
1. To cause to become slower; to delay or retard.
1580Hollyband Treas. Fr. Tong, Tarder, to hinder, to slacken. 1632Sir T. Hawkins tr. Mathieu's Unhappy Prosp. 283 That the Sunne denyeth her his beames, that her presence slackneth his rising. 1656tr. Hobbes' Elem. Philos. (1839) 406 Some alteration..of vital motion, by quickening or slackening..the same. 1726Leoni Alberti's Archit. II. 113/2 You may slacken the current of the Water, by making it run winding. 1794T. Davis Agric. Wilts. 91 The ‘clinginess’..may tend to slacken the step of the Wiltshire ploughman. 1833H. Martineau Briery Creek ii. 42 The production of the one will be slackened, and that of the other quickened, till they are made equal. 1878Huxley Physiogr. 130 As the river approaches its mouth, the flow becomes slackened.
b. To allow (one's pace, etc.) to become slower; to diminish or lessen (speed).
1749Fielding Tom Jones xii. v, Partridge being unable any longer to keep up with Jones,..begged him a little to slacken his pace. 1796F. Burney Camilla IV. 103 Neither quickening nor slackening his pace as he approached. 1853Mrs. Carlyle Lett. II. 213, I..slackened my steps, till they were clear off. 1863W. C. Baldwin Afr. Hunting vi. 186, I gave him a bullet.., which soon caused him to slacken his pace. 1896Law Times Rep. LXXIII. 615/1 [The engine-driver] did not slacken speed.
fig.1837T. Jones Christian Warrior iv. ii. 84 Do not slacken your pace in religion because of reproaches.
2. To render less vigorous or eager; to cause to fall off or decline.
a1631Donne Select. (1840) 35 Such a rest..as shall slacken our endeavour to make sure our salvation. a1677Barrow Serm. Wks. 1716 I. 10 Religion seemeth to smother or to slacken the..alacrity of men in following Profit. 1718Free-thinker No. 87. 222 Riches had no Allurements to slacken their Enquiries. 1807J. Barlow Columb. iv. 422 Thy freeborn sons..Nor sloth can slacken, nor a tyrant bind. 1839F. A. Kemble Resid. Georgia (1863) 26 The sight of which..is enough to slacken the appetite. 1896T. F. Tout Edw. I, iii. 47 The best and the worst of motives combined to slacken crusading enthusiasm.
b. To allow to become less vigorous, etc.
a1631Donne Select. (1840) 197 If we slacken our holy industry in making sure our salvation, we..may be cast out. 1665Temple Let. to Ld. Arlington Wks. 1720 II. 6, I know him to be a Man too firm to be diverted from his Point, or slacken it without some such Maim. 1841Elphinstone Hist. Ind. I. 541 The Hindús..first slackened their efforts, and at last gave way and dispersed. 1857Buckle Civiliz. I. xiv. 784 In the heat of their new warfare they slackened their opposition to the church.
3. To relax in point of strictness or severity.
1605Bacon Adv. Learn. i. vii. §9 The temperate use of the Prerogative, not slackened, nor much strayned. 1643Milton Divorce ii. i, In matters not very bad or impure, a human law giver may slacken something of that which is exactly good. 1697G. Burghope Disc. Relig. Assemb. 180 The laws for coming to church have been slackned in favour to the scrupulous dissenters.
b. To render (a person) less severe or stern.
1685F. Spence tr. Varilla's Ho. Medicis 168 There was some glimmering of hope, that..it would not be impossible to slacken and mollifie him if he gave him audience.
4. To give relaxation to (one's thoughts, etc.).
1643Denham Cooper's Hill 242 When great Affairs Gave leave to slacken, and unbend his cares. 1805Wordsw. Prelude i. 63 Where down I sate Beneath a tree, slackening my thoughts by choice, And settling into gentler happiness.
5. To moderate, make less intense.
1685Lady R. Russell Lett. I. xxii. 58 That consideration should in reason slacken the fierce rages of grief. 1747–96H. Glasse Art of Cookery xxv. 377 Make a pretty brisk fire,..then slacken it so as just to have enough to keep the still at work.
6. To render, to allow to become, less tense, taut, or firm; to reduce the tension of.
1611Cotgr., Lascher, to slacken, wyden, loose, vnbend, let out. 1668Marvell Corr. xcviii. Wks. (Grosart) II. 251 Yesterday Harman was brought to the House to give account of slackning saile in the first victory. 1760–72H. Brooke Fool of Qual. (1809) III. 86 Slackening our sail, and heaving out a small boat. 1797–1805S. & Ht. Lee Canterb. T. II. 246 She slackened the reins. 1823Galt R. Gilhaize xxii, Being then somewhat slackened in the joints of the right side by a paralytic. 1900Jrnl. Soc. Dyers XVI. 12 The yarn is alternately stretched and slackened.
b. In fig. contexts.
c1645Howell Lett. i. vi. liii, Nor shall this storm slacken a whit that firm ligue of love, wherin I am eternally tied unto you. 1647Clarendon Hist. Reb. i. §191 A Superior..who having the Reins in his hand, could Slacken them according to his own humour. 1861Buckle Civiliz. II. viii. 467 In Spain, directly government slackened its hold, the nation fell to pieces. 1865Dickens Mut. Fr. iii. xvi, Most of its money mills were slackening sail, or had left off grinding for the day.
c. To cause to relax; to weaken.
1663Cowley Complaint vii, Thou slacknest all my Nerves of Industry. 1697J. Collier Ess. Moral Subj. i. (1703) 63 Such a Partiality will slacken the Nerves of Industry. 1778R. Lowth Transl. Isaiah xiii. 7 Therefore shall all hands be slackened.
7. To make loose, to loosen. Also refl.
1815J. Smith Panorama Sci. & Art I. 54 By slackening the screws..the puppets are at liberty to slide horizontally. 1869Rankine Machine & Hand-tools Pl. P 11, The rotation of the mandril is continued until the tyre is slackened by the continued action of the rollers. Ibid. P 13, The vice gradually slackens itself from the severe shake and strain it is receiving.
II. intr.
8. Of persons: To become lax, remiss, or negligent; to grow less energetic or eager.
1641Milton Reform. ii. Wks. 1851 III. 47 When the people slacken, and fall to loosenes and riot. 1800Wordsw. Michael 443 Meantime Luke began To slacken in his duty. 1854Freeman in Ecclesiologist XV. 320 At this point I feel that I must begin to slacken. 1860Motley Netherl. iii. (1868) I. 81 Preventing them..from slackening in their determined hostility to Spain.
9. To diminish in respect of strength, vigour, intensity, etc.
1651Hobbes Leviath. ii. xxx. 178 Their Obedience (in which the safety of the Common-wealth consisteth) slackened. 1671Milton Samson 738 My penance hath not slack'n'd, though my pardon No way assur'd. a1738Swift Will. II, Wks. 1768 IV. 265 In a few years the piety of these adventurers began to slacken. 1794Nelson 20 July in Nicolas Disp. (1845) I. 451 Our exertions must not slacken. 1823Lamb Elia ii. Old Margate Hoy, In a poor week, imagination slackens. 1876Freeman Norm. Conq. IV. xviii. 116 The assault must have begun to slacken; for he feared a sally of the besieged.
b. Of fire, wind, tides, or other natural forces or processes.
1666Pepys Diary 9 Nov., By and by comes news that the fire is slackened. 1687A. Lovell tr. Thevenot's Trav. ii. 155 The Wind slackened so at this place, that we scarcely made any way at all. 1794G. Adams Nat. & Exper. Phil. III. xxxi. 287 When the impulse slackens, the fly communicates part of its motion. 1820tr. Legrange's Chem. II. 309 When the distillation begins to slacken, unlute the apparatus. 1832H. T. De la Beche Geol. Man. (ed. 2) 99 The currents run with the wind..and slacken in September. 1885Manch. Exam. 12 Jan. 6/1 The intensest heat is white, if it slackens it becomes faintly coloured.
c. Of business, etc.: To become less active or brisk. (See also quot. 1828.)
1745De Foe's Eng. Tradesm. ii. (1841) I. 14 Markets slacken much on this side. 1828Carr Craven Gloss., Slacken, to fall in price. ‘Corn begins to slacken.’ 1832H. Martineau Hill & Valley iv. 63 When the demand for iron slackens. 1874Ruskin Fors Clav. xlviii. 267 Faster and faster slackens the demand for tea.
10. To diminish in speed; to become slower.
a1721J. Keill Maupertius' Diss. (1734) 65 In those distant parts, the velocity of the Comet slackens. 1784Cowper Task i. 155 How oft upon yon eminence our pace Has slacken'd to a pause. 1822Scott Nigel xvi, As he approached the entrance to that den of infamy,..his pace slackened. 1893Traill Social Eng. Introd. p. xxxiv, Through the first half of the ensuing century the rate of progress in the sciences a little slackens.
b. To begin to go more slowly.
1837Carlyle Fr. Rev. i. i. iv, At a high trot, they start; and keep up that pace. For the jibes..do not tempt one to slacken. 1850S. Dobell Roman vi. Poet. Wks. (1875) 84 The tired ox slackens in the furrow. 1865Dickens Mut. Fr. iii. xv, ‘That was well done!’ panted Bella, slackening in the next street, and subsiding into a walk.
11. Of lime: To become slaked.
1703[R. Neve] City & C. Purchaser 206 Bricklayers..let the Lime slacken and cool before they make up their Mortar.
12. To become less tense or firm.
1850Scoresby Cheever's Whaleman's Adv. ix. (1858) 120 The line for an instant slackened. 1892Low Machine Draw. 20 When in this condition the nut has no tendency to slacken back. 1894Hall Caine Manxman iii. vii, Her clenched hands slackened away from his neck. |