slake

Slake is a verb with the core meaning of quenching or satisfying a need, desire, or curiosity. The most common usage is to slake one’s thirst, meaning to relieve thirst by drinking. It can also be used more figuratively to indicate calming, satisfying, or relieving other demands, such as slaking curiosity or slaking anger in appropriate contexts.

In chemistry and construction, slake refers to the hydration of quicklime (calcium oxide) to form slaked lime (calcium hydroxide). The reaction CaO + H2O → Ca(OH)2 is highly exothermic and produces a white, caustic powder. Slaked lime is used in a variety of applications, including mortar and plaster in construction, soil pH adjustment in agriculture, and water treatment, as well as in some industrial processes.

Historically and in literary usage, slake appears in phrases that convey relief or fulfillment after deprivation. The term should not be confused with similar-sounding words such as slack, which have different meanings, or with slake in contexts where its figurative sense does not apply.

See also: slaked lime, hydration, thirst, quenching.