slick
(slĭk)
[Middle English slike, from Old English* slice, V., Middle English sliken, from Late Old English -slīcian, -slȳcian (in nīgslȳcod, freshly smoothed).]
adjective: slick·er, slick·est.
- Smooth, glossy, and slippery: sidewalks slick with ice. See synonyms at sleek
- Deftly executed; adroit: “as slick as a sonnet, but as dull as ditch water” (Tallulah Bankhead)
- Shrewd; wily.
- Superficially attractive or plausible but lacking depth or soundness: a slick writing style. See synonyms at glib
noun
- A smooth or slippery surface or area.
- A floating film of oil.
- A trail of floating material: a garbage slick.
- An implement used to make a surface slick, especially a chisel used for smoothing and polishing.
- Informal A magazine, usually of large popular readership, printed on high-quality glossy paper.
- A racing automobile tire with a smooth tread.
- Slang An unarmed military aircraft, especially a helicopter.
transitive verb: slicked, slick·ing, slicks.
- To make smooth, glossy, or oily.
- Informal To make neat, trim, or tidy: slicked themselves up for the camera.
derivatives
- slicḱly
- adverb
- slicḱness
- noun
