S L E 
S L E 
Weak; wanting substance. This seems to be of the same 
race with sleave, or from to sky. Dr. Johnson.—Slectsy 
holland is so called, because made in Silesia, in Ger¬ 
many ; which from its slightness, occasions all thin, slight, 
ill-wrought hollands to be called sleasy. Chambers .— 
I cannot well away with such sleazy stuff, with such cob¬ 
web compositions. Howell. 
SLEBECK, a parish of Wales, in Pembrokeshire; 6 miles 
from Narberth. 
SLEBEZE, or Slybze, a small island in the straits of 
Sunda. Lat. 5. 54. S. long. 105. 24. E. 
SLECK, in Rural Economy, a provincial term applied 
to the small of pit-coal; also to the black matter of smutty 
grain. 
SLED, s. [slxd, Danisji; sledde, Dutch.] A carriage 
drawn without wheels. 
Upon an ivory sled 
Thou shalt be drawn upon the frozen poles. Tamburlaine. 
SLEDDALE, Long, a township of England, in West¬ 
moreland; 8 miles north-by-west of Kendal, 
SLEDDALE, West, a hamlet in the above county; 5J 
miles north-north-west of Orton. 
SLE'DDED, adj. Mounted on a sled. 
So frown’d he once when in an angry parle. 
He smote the sledded Polack on the ice. Shalcspeare. 
SLEDGE, s. [jdecj, pleje, Saxon; sleggia, Icel.] A 
large heavy hammer. 
They him spying, both with greedy force. 
At once upon him ran, and him beset. 
With strokes of mortal steel, without remorse, 
And on his shield like iron sledges bet. Spenser, 
A carriage without wheels, or with very low wheels; 
properly a sled. See Sled. —In Lancashire they use a sort 
of sledge made with thick wheels, to bring their marl out, 
and drawn with one horse. Mortimer. 
SLEDGE ISLAND, a small island in the north Pacific 
Ocean, close to the north-western shore of the American 
coast; it is about four leagues in circuit. “ The surface of 
the ground (says Captain Cook), is composed chiefly of large 
loose stones, that are in many places covered with moss and 
other vegetables, of which there were above twenty or thirty 
different sorts, and most of them in flower ; but I saw neither 
shrub nor free, either upon the island, or on the continent. 
On a small low spot, near the beach where we landed, was a 
good deal of wild purslain, pease, long-wort, &c.; some of 
which we took on board for the pot; we saw one fox, a few 
plovers, and some other small birds; and we met with some 
decayed hufs that were partly built below ground. People 
had lately been on the island: and it is pretty clear that 
they frequently visit it for some purpose or other, as there 
was a beaten path from the one end to the other. We found 
a little way from the shore where we landed, a sledge, which 
occasioned this name being given to the island; it seems to 
be such a one as the Russians in Kamtschatka make use of 
to convey goods from place to place, over the ice or snow. 
It was ten feet long, twenty inches broad, and had a kind of 
rail-work on each side, and was shod with bone: the con¬ 
struction of it was admirable, and all the parts neatly put to¬ 
gether; some with wooden pins, but mostly with thongs or 
lashings of whalebone, which made me think it was entirely 
the workmanship of the natives.” Lat 64. 30. N. long. 
193 57. E. 
SLEDMERE, a township of England, East Riding of 
Yorkshire; 8 miles north-west of Great Driffield. 
SLEEK, adj. [sleyck and slicht, Teuf., planus, from 
slechten, planare. This word was formerly written slick, 
and is still our northern word.]—Smooth ; nitid ■ glossy. 
Let me have men about me that are fat, 
S/ec/r-headed men, and such as sleep a-nights. Skakspeare. 
Notrough; not harsh. 
Those rugged names to our like mouths grow sleek, 
That would have made Quintilian stare and gasp. Milton. 
283 
SLEEK, s. That which makes smooth; varnish. Not 
in use. —My face, which you behold so seeming red, is done 
over with ladies’ licks, slicks, and other painting stuff of the 
Levant. Transl. of Boccalini. 
To SLEEK, v. a. To comb smooth and even. 
By dead Parthenope’s dear tomb. 
And fair Ligea’s golden comb. 
Wherewith she sits on diamond rocks. 
Sleeking her soft alluring locks. Milton . 
To render soft, smooth or glossy. 
Gentle my lord, sleek o’er your rugged looks ; 
Be bright and jovial ’mong your guests to night. 
Skakspeare. 
SLEKBURN, East and West, adjoining hamlets of 
England, in Durham; 6 miles east-south-east of Morpeth. 
SLEEK'LY, adv. Smoothly; glossily.—Let their heads 
be sleekly combed, and their blue coats brushed. Shak- 
speare. 
SLEE'KNESS, s. Smoothness.—We may live to the 
spectacle and the bearing-staff, to the stooping back, to the 
snow or to the sleekness of the declining crown: but how 
few are there that can unfold you a diary of so many leaves ! 
More die in the spring and summer of their years, than live 
till autumn or their gowned winter. Feltham. 
SLEE'KSTONE, s. A smoothing stone.—The purest 
pasteboard, with a sleek-stone rub smooth, and as even as 
you can. Peach am. 
SLEE'KY, adj. Of a sleek or smooth appearance. 
Sweet, sleeky doctor, dear pacific soul! 
Lay at the beef, and suck the vital bowl! Thomson. 
To SLEEP, v. n. [. slepan, Gothic ; jdaepan, Sax., slaepan, 
Dutch. Dr. Johnson. —Serenius deduces the word from the 
Su. Goth., slapp, remissus.] To take rest by suspension of 
the mental and corporeal powers. 
I’ve watch’d and travell’d hard: 
Some time I shall sleep out; the rest I’ll whistle. Skakspeare. 
To rest; to be motionless. 
How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank! 
Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music 
Creep in our ears. Skakspeare. 
To live thoughtlessly.—We sleep over our happiness, and 
want to be rouzed into a quick thankful sense of it. Atter- 
bury. —To be dead; death being a state from which man 
will some time awake.—If we believe that Jesus died and 
rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God 
bring with him. 1 Thessal. —To be inattentive; not 
vigilant. 
Heaven will one day open 
The king’s eyes, that so long have slept upon 
This bold, bad man. Skakspeare. 
To be unnoticed or unattended: as the matter sleeps. 
See Sleeping. 
SLEEP, s. [slep, Goth., jlep. Sax.] Repose; rest; sus¬ 
pension of the mental and corporeal powers; slumber. 
Methought I heard a voice cry. Sleep no more! 
Macbeth doth murder sleep; the innocent sleep ; 
Sleep that knits up the ravell’d sleave of care; 
The birth of each day’s life, sore labour’s bath, 
Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course, 
Chief nourisher in life’s feast. Skakspeare. 
SLEEPE, a hamlet of England, in Hertfordshire, near St. 
Albans. 
SLEE'PER, s. [Sax., plsepepe.] One who sleeps; one 
who is not awake. 
Sound, music; come my queen, take hand with me, 
And rock the ground whereon these sleepers be. 
Skakspeare- 
A lazy inactive drone.—He must be no great eater, drinker, 
nor sleeper, that will discipline his senses, and exert his 
mind; every worthy undertaking requires both. Grew. — 
That 
