Slatelike

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having the flat, fine-grained, grayish-blue look or the splitting texture of slate rock
2. Resembling the dense, smooth, layered stone used for roofing tiles and writing boards
3. Possessing the dull gray color and easily cleaved surface characteristic of slate

Etymology: "Slatelike" is a plain compound: "slate," the fine-grained rock that splits into thin, flat sheets, with the suffix "-like," meaning "resembling or having the qualities of." Put together, it describes something that resembles slate in appearance, texture, or feel, such as a dull grey-blue surface or a rock that breaks into smooth layers. The "-like" suffix is one of English's most productive, attaching to nouns to form adjectives in endless combinations, from "childlike" to "crystal-like." Because "slate" itself has long been used for the roofing and writing material as well as the rock, a slatelike surface can be read in either of those senses, though the word stays close to the physical stone.

Synonyms: slaty