slick

Definition

Slippery or smooth due to a covering of liquid; often used to describe appearances.

Etymology

From Middle English slicke, slike, slyke, from Old English slīc (“sleek, smooth; crafty, cunning, slick”), from Proto-Germanic *slīkaz (“sleek, smooth”), from Proto-Indo-European *sleyg-, *sleyǵ- (“to glide, smooth, spread”). Akin to Dutch sluik, dialectal Dutch sleek (“even, smooth”), Old Norse slíkr (“sleek, smooth”), Old English slician (“to make sleek, smooth, or glossy”).

Example Sentences

• "This rain is making the roads slick."
• "The top coating of lacquer gives this finish a slick look."
• "His large round head was shaved slick."