aslake

English

Etymology

From Middle English aslaken, from Old English āslacian (to become slack, decline, diminish, grow tired, make slack, loosen, relax, dissolve), from Proto-Germanic *uz- (out) + *slakōną (to become useless, weak, or slow), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)lēg- (soft, weak), equivalent to a- + slake. Cognate with Dutch slaken (to heave), Swedish sloka (to wilt, droop), Danish slukke (to quench, allay, slake). More at slake.

Verb

aslake (third-person singular simple present aslakes, present participle aslaking, simple past and past participle aslaked)

  1. (transitive, intransitive, rare or obsolete) To abate; diminish.
  2. (transitive, intransitive, rare or obsolete) To moderate; mitigate; appease; satisfy.
    The beast that prowls about in search of blood, / Or reptile that within the treacherous brake / Waits for the prey, upcoiled, its hunger to aslake. ― Southey, Paraguay.

Translations

Anagrams

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