sleek

English

Etymology

A late variant of slick; cognate to German schleichen (Old High German slihhan) and Dutch slijk (“mud, slime”). Compare slink.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sliːk/

  • Audio (RP)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -iːk

Adjective

sleek (comparative sleeker, superlative sleekest)

1. Having an even, smooth surface; smooth

   sleek hair

   Synonyms: frictionless, silky; see also Thesaurus:smooth

   • 1717, Dryden, John; Garth, Samuel; et al, “Book 1”, in Metamorphoses, translation of Metamorphoses by Ovid, line 837:

     So sleek her skin, so faultless was her make.

2. glossy

   Synonyms: glacé, sheeny; see also Thesaurus:glossy

3. Not rough or harsh.

   Synonyms: civilized, classy, elegant, graceful, refined

   • 1673, Milton, John, “Sonnet 11”, in Poems, line 10:

     Those rugged names to our like mouths grow sleek.

4. Slim and streamlined; not plump, thick, or stocky.

   Synonyms: lithe, svelte; see also Thesaurus:slender

5. Of stock animals, healthy, well-fed and well-groomed; in good condition.

Derived terms

• sleekly
• sleekness
• sleekstone

Translations

smooth

• Armenian: ողորկ (hy) (ołork)
• Bulgarian: гладък (bg) (gladǎk), лъскав (bg) (lǎskav)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 光滑的

• Dutch: glad (nl)
• Finnish: sileä (fi), tasainen (fi)
• French: brillant (fr), luisant (fr), lisse (fr)
• German: glatt (de); (of hair, fabric also) seidig (de)
• Hungarian: sima (hu)
• Ido: glata (io)
• Italian: elegante (it), lucido (it), liscio (it)

• Maori: maheni, ngerungeru, mohimohi, koutata, tōwahiwahi, tōwāwahi, koutata
• Persian: لخت‎ (fa) (laxt)
• Portuguese: suave (pt)
• Russian: гла́дкий (ru) (gládkij), гля́нцевый (ru) (gljáncevyj)
• Spanish: liso (es)
• Swedish: slät (sv), glatt (sv)
• Turkish: şık (tr)

not rough or harsh

• French: lisse (fr) m or f
• German: geschmeidig (de)
• Italian: slanciato (it) m
• Portuguese: liso (pt)

• Russian: гла́дкий (ru) (gládkij)
• Spanish: liso (es)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• German: ^{(please verify)} glänzend (de)

• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} liso (es)

Adverb

sleek (comparative more sleek, superlative most sleek)

1. (dated) With ease and dexterity.

Verb

sleek (third-person singular simple present sleeks, present participle sleeking, simple past and past participle sleeked)

1. To make smooth or glossy; to polish or cause to be attractive.

Translations

to make smooth; glossy; or to polish

• Bulgarian: приглаждам (bg) (priglaždam), полирам (bg) (poliram)
• Finnish: silottaa, kiillottaa (fi)
• Ido: glatigar (io)

• Portuguese: alisar (pt)

Noun

sleek (uncountable)

1. That which makes smooth; varnish.

Translations

that which makes smooth; varnish

• Finnish: kiillotusaine

Anagrams

• Keels, Klees, Leske, Selke, elkes, keels, leeks, skeel

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Scots

Etymology

Variant of slick.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /slik/

Adjective

sleek (comparative sleeker, superlative sleekest)

1. sleek

Verb

sleek (third-person singular simple present sleeks, present participle sleekin, simple past sleekit, past participle sleekit)

1. to sleek