slat

Definition

A thin, narrow strip or bar of wood (lath), metal, or plastic.

Etymology

From Middle English slatte, sklatte, sklat, sclat, from Old French esclat (“piece broken or split off, shiver, splinter”), from Old French esclater (“to split, burst”), from Frankish *slaitijan (“to split, break”), from Proto-Germanic *slītaną (“to rend, split”). Doublet of slate and éclat.

Example Sentences

• "slats of a window blind"
• "To keep people out, the Nature Conservancy, which owns the cave, has blocked off the entrance with huge iron slats."
• "I never got down that hill without losing at least one of my skis! Clarence didn't lose his slats. The straps went over his boots and held them in place. If he fell, he risked breaking a foot or leg, but the slats stayed on."