▪ I. slike, n. Sc. and north. Now rare or Obs.
Forms: 5, 8 slyk (5 slyik), 5–6 slyke; 5–6, 9 slike (6 slik); 9 sleyk.
[? OE. *sl{iacu}c, = Fris. slyk, MDu. slijc, sliec (Du. slijk), MLG. slîk, slyk (LG. slîk), OHG. slîch (G. dial. schleich): see slitch and cf. slick n.2]
Mud, slime, sludge.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce xiii. 352 Bannokburne, that sa cummyrsum was Of slyk, and depnes for till pas. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. iv. iii. 263 Slyk and claye mycht þan be seyn Qwhar wattyr deip befor had beyn. c 1500 Kennedie Passion of Christ 230 In cauld and hunger rynand throw slik and clay. 1513 Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. IV. 525 To bere the tymer furth of the slyke that came up fra the Margret. 1513 Douglas æneid i. viii. 83 Drivin to land By force of storme, the slyke thai ws deny. 1704 in Ess. Witchcraft (1820) 143 William was desired to bring some slyk. 1812 W. Hall Local Hist. Fens 11 Seeing rudds run by shoals 'bout the side of Gill sike, Being dreadfully venom'd by rolling in slike. 1870 Robson Evangeline 356 An' in the sleyk poor Feely stuck. |
▪ II. † slike, a. Obs. Chiefly north.
Also 4–5 slyk, slyke, slic, 4 slik, sli.
[a. ON. sl{iacu}k-r (Norw. and Sw. slik, Da. slig), for earlier *swa-l{iacu}kr, = Goth. swa-leiks ‘so-like’: see such a.]
Such. Also with numerals (cf. sic a. 1 b).
| a 1300 Cursor M. 6786 To cumlinges do yee right na suike, For quilum war yee seluen slike. Ibid. 7472 Ilk dai he come in place, And batail bede wit sli manace. 13.. Gosp. Nicod. 1092 (Harl. MS.), To spek of his pouste, yhe may meruaile slyke fyue. c 1386 Chaucer Reeve's T. 253 Wha herkned euere slyk a ferly thyng? 1446 in Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. (1900) XLVI. 527 Slike distress was never seen within the said town. 1483 Cath. Angl. 344/2 Slyke, huius modi. |
Hence † slikins, of such a kind. Obs.—1
| a 1300 Cursor M. 12010 Ioseph sun Slikins maistris do was won Bifor þe folk of israel. |
▪ III. slike
obs. form of slick a.
▪ IV. † slike, v. Obs.—1
[Cf. MLG. and LG. slîken (NFris. slīke), OHG. slîhhan (MHG. slîchen, G. schleichen) to slide, glide, creep, etc.]
intr. To slide, glance.
| c 1400 Anturs of Arth. xlviii, The squrd slippus on slonte, and on the mayle slikes. |