MEANING
A fine-grained metamorphic rock that splits into thin sheets, used especially for roofing and sometimes flooring.
Use it for
dark roofs; stone floors; rain on hard surfacesSpecify a roof material with a thin, layered physical character.
Words that belong together
- slate roof
- loose slates
- slate floor
On the page
Rain darkened the slate roof until it almost matched the sky.
A loose slate slid into the gutter during the night.
The entrance floor was laid in large rectangles of slate.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- slate
Usage notes
Primary category: architecture. Can name the material or an individual roofing piece; do not assume all dark roof tiles are slate. Mass noun; count roofing piece: slate, plural slates. Secondary verb slate, slates, slated, slated, slating.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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