Slake
/sleɪk/noun
To satisfy or quench a thirst, desire, or need; also to make less intense.
Did you know?Slake comes from an Old English verb meaning to become slack or lose intensity, and its deeper history connects to the ancient Indo-European root behind “slack,” “slug,” and “slouch” — all words built around looseness, drooping, or easing off.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sleg-
“to be slack, weak, or loose”
Old English
OE
slæcan
“to make slack, lessen, or subdue”
Middle English
ME
slaken
“to make less intense; to quench or allay”
Modern English
English
slake
“to quench thirst or satisfy a desire; to make less intense”