▪ I. slent, n.1 Now dial.
Also 4 slente.
[a. ON. *slent (Norw. slent a side-slip paa slent aslant; Sw. slänt slope, slant, på slänt aslant), related to *slenta slent v.1 (whence sense 3). See also sklent n. and slant n.1]
1. A slope or declivity. = slant n.1 1.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. A. 141 By-ȝonde þe broke by slente oþer slade, I hoped þat mote merked wore. a 1825 Forby Voc. E. Anglia 307 Slent, a gentle slope in the surface of the ground. |
2. on (the) slent, aslant. Cf. slant n.1 3.
| 13.. Cursor M. 6200 (Gött.), God þaim bad drau iner-mare Egain on slent þar þai ware. 1894 Heslop Northumbld. Gloss. s.v., ‘It's on the slent’—aslope. |
† 3. A sly hit or sarcasm. Obs. = slant n.1 5.
| c 1557 Abp. Parker Ps. cxix. 42 Fynd thus I maye to answere right and dul blasphemers slents. 1579 North Plut., Antonius 982 b, When Cleopatra found Antonius ieasts and slents to be but grosse and souldier like, in plaine manner she gaue it him finely. 1612 Ibid., Epaminondas 1110 He was as pleasant a man to giue a fine slent in discourse, as could be possible to be found. |
▪ II. † slent, n.2 Obs.
[a. ON. *slent (Norw. slett), f. *slenta (ON. sletta) to dash, throw, etc.]
1. A splash or sprinkling.
| 13.. St. Erkenwolde 331 in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1881), Þe fyrst slent [of water] þat on me slode slekkyd al my tene. |
2. Naut. = slant n.2
| 1596 Raleigh Discov. Guiana 53 Towards the euening [we] had a slent of a northerly winde that blew very strong. 1622 R. Hawkins Voy. S. Sea (1847) 81 Advising them that with the first calme or slent of wind, they should come off. 1628 Sir K. Digby Voy. Medit. (Camden) 43 This day the wind and sea were verie high,..but att the euening a slent of calme came. |
▪ III. slent, v.1 Now dial.
Also 4 slinte, 5 sclente.
[a. ON. *slenta (Norw. slenta, older Da. slente; cf. MSw. and Sw. slinta) to slant, slope, slip. See also sklent v.]
1. intr. To slip, fall, or glide obliquely; to strike or lie aslant.
| 13.. Sir Beues 2539 Ascopard..Smot after Beues a dent gret, And wiþ is o fot a slintte And fel wiþ is owene dentte [14.. Camb. MS. Ff. ii. 38 A fote yn to þe erthe hyt sclente]. 1470–85 Malory Arthur xvii. i. 689 The stroke was soo grete that it slented doune to the erthe. 1655 W. Gurnall Chr. in Arm. ii. 337 Though God takes his aim at man, and levels his arrows primarily at his very heart; yet as they go, they slent upon the creature. 1854 A. E. Baker Northampt. Gloss., Slent, to slant, to slope. |
† 2. To make sly hits or gibes. Obs.
Cf. Brockett (1829), ‘Slant, to utter sly jokes’.
| 1567 Fenton Trag. Disc. 141 b, Slenting at their sortes of devises in woing. 1579 North Plutarch 744 b, One Proteas, a pleasaunt conceited man, and that could slent finely. |
3. trans. To cause to slant; to turn aside.
| 1639 Fuller Holy War iv. xxiv. (1647) 210 Nimblenesse was also very advantageous to break and slent the downright rushings of a stronger vessel. |
Hence ˈslenting vbl. n.
| 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1160 Þer myȝt mon se, as þay slypte, slentyng of arwes. |
▪ IV. † slent, v.2
In 4 slente, slinte.
[Of obscure origin.]
trans. To strike out; to aim or deliver (a blow); to cast, throw.
| 13.. Sir Beues 813 Wiþ is swerd out a slinte Twei toskes at þe ferste dent. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 1615 Roland ȝerne him gan defende wyþ durendale is brond, And sturne strokes til hymen he slente. Ibid. 3313 Grete slabbes of styl & yre to þe walles þo wern y-slente. |
▪ V. slent, v.3 Now dial.
[Of obscure origin.]
1. trans. To split or cleave; to rend.
| 1605 Sylvester Du Bartas ii. iii. i. Vocation 857 With a steel Dart..[thou] Art 'twixt thy Cuirace and thy Saddle slent. a 1618 ― Job Triumphant iii. 295 On Cliffs of Adamant hee laies his hands;..Slents them w{supt}{suph} sledges. c 1645 Howell Lett. iv. xix, If one do well observe the quality of the Cliffs on both shores, his eyes will judge..that they were slented and shiver'd asunder by some act of violence. 1851 Dorset Gloss., Slent, to tear; to rend. 1897 T. Hardy Wessex Poems, Valenciennes vii, A shell was slent to shards anighst my ears. |
| absol. 1591 Sylvester Du Bartas ii. i. 813 Whose two⁓hand Sword, at every veny, slent, Not through a single Souldier's feeble bones, But keenly slyces through whole Troops at once. |
† 2. intr. To burst or split. Obs. rare.
| 1608 Sylvester Du Bartas ii. iv. iii. Schisme 188 Th' unsacred Altar sudden slent in twain. a 1618 ― Job Triumphant iv. 52 My brest is like a Wine-Butt..Ready to burst, or Bottles like to slent. |