slack1

adjective

• 1not taut or held tightly in position; loose:a slack rope her mouth went slack

• 2(of business) characterized by a lack of work or activity; quiet:business was rather slack
• slow or sluggish:they were working at a slack pace
• having or showing laziness or negligence:slack accounting procedures

• 3(of a tide) neither ebbing nor flowing:soon the water will become slack, and the tide will turn

noun

• 1the part of a rope or line that is not held taut; the loose or unused part:I picked up the rod and wound in the slack

• 2 (slacks) casual trousers.

• 3 informal a spell of inactivity or laziness:he slept deeply, refreshed by a little slack in the daily routine

verb

• 1loosen (something, especially a rope).
• reduce the intensity or speed of (something); slacken:the horse slacked his pace
• [no object] (slack off) decrease in quantity or intensity:the flow of blood slacked off
• [no object] informal work slowly or lazily:she reprimanded her girls if they were slacking
• [no object] (slack up) slow down:the animal doesn’t slack up until he reaches the trees

• 2slake (lime).

adverb

• loosely:their heads were hanging slack in attitudes of despair