From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Slack \Slack\, a. [Compar. {Slacker}; superl. {Slackest}.] [OE.
slak, AS. sleac; akin to OS. slak, OHG. slah, Prov. G.
schlack, Icel. slakr, Sw. slak; cf. Skr. s[.r]j to let loose,
to throw. Cf. {Slake}.]
Lax; not tense; not hard drawn; not firmly extended; as, a
slack rope.
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2. Weak; not holding fast; as, a slack hand. --Milton.
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3. Remiss; backward; not using due diligence or care; not
earnest or eager; as, slack in duty or service.
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The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as
some men count slackness. --2 Pet. iii.
9.
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4. Not violent, rapid, or pressing; slow; moderate; easy; as,
business is slack. "With slack pace." --Chaucer.
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C?sar . . . about sunset, hoisting sail with a slack
southwest, at midnight was becalmed. --Milton.
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{Slack in stays} (Naut.), slow in going about, as a ship.
{Slack water}, the time when the tide runs slowly, or the
water is at rest; or the interval between the flux and
reflux of the tide.
{Slack-water navigation}, navigation in a stream the depth of
which has been increased, and the current diminished, by a
dam or dams.
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Syn: Loose; relaxed; weak; remiss; backward; abated;
diminished; inactive; slow; tardy; dull.
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
slack water
n 1: a stretch of water without current or movement; "suddenly
they were in a slack and the water was motionless" [syn:
{slack}, {slack water}]
2: the occurrence of relatively still water at the turn of the
(low) tide [syn: {slack water}, {slack tide}]
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