Slaters

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Tradespeople who cover roofs with slate tiles ; small grey crustaceans that roll into a ball when disturbed and hide under stones and logs
2. Workers skilled at fixing slate roof coverings to buildings ; woodlice, the segmented land-dwelling creatures often found beneath damp logs and flowerpots
3. Roofers who specialise in laying slate ; the small armoured isopods that live in damp places and curl up when threatened

Etymology: "Slaters" is the plural of "slater," a noun meaning a workman who covers roofs with slates. The singular comes from Middle English "sclater," formed by adding the agent suffix "-er" to "slate," so the word simply names the person who works with slates. The plural form is what you get when more than one such worker is meant. The same suffix appears in many other trade names built from a material plus "-er," such as "tiler" or "plumber" in its older sense of one who works with lead. "Slater" is one of the few of these where the material name, "slate," has kept its own meaning alongside the worker's name, so a reader can see the construction at a glance.

Synonyms: roofer, tiler