Meaning of slickem | Babel Free
Definitions
-
Hair oil. countable, uncountable
- An SLCM (sea-launched cruise missile).
-
A very fine waste material produced by hydraulic mining which tends to contaminate waterways. countable, uncountable
-
A superlubricant packet or spray that can be used to reduce traction on surfaces or as a lubricant. countable, uncountable
-
A long-chain polymer that is injected into oil pipelines to reduce turbulent flow. countable, uncountable
-
A piece of wood wrapped in abrasive cloth, used for sharpening blades. countable, uncountable
Examples
“Turkington's bright mop of red hair had plainly never known slickem.”
“Well, old-timer, you begin to look to me like a guy who's left waiting at the church. Frock coat, white carnation, slickem on your curly locks, everything on hand but a bride.”
“...his black hair plastered down on both sides with slickem, and his natty siders halfway down his cheeks in the most approved shiek style.”
“Now one of the most engrossing questions in the politics of the State arises from the filling of the rivers and the destruction of the agricultural lands by the debris from these hydraulic mines. A dam on the Feather River, near Marysville, was authorized by the Legislature, and after the expenditure of half a million dollars its success is questioned, and "slickem" continues to muddy at least the political waters.”
“The miners generally expect to build their own dams. These dams will restrain the coarser material, but not the finest slickem.”
“While Such surfaces—known among mine Workers - as “slickem-slides”—are by no means uncommon, the Specimens here illustrated are perhaps unique in perfection and interest.”
“Whitey Hermanson's Leatherneck son thought that his dad's car could get along on iron rations, or whatever Marines carry to their landing with situations in hand, forgot to put some slickem in the case for the turn-arounds, and that knocked the babbit outa the gadgets.”
“The ice I haven't really met yet, but it looks like that could be overcome with some slickem on the airplane and a careful check with . . .”
“If a manufacturer makes a gun, he knows that it may kill, and the government that buys it knows it, too. If the government buys a stun gun, or a 'slickem' to cause vehicles to skid, who is to blame if fatalities result?”
“In the case of United Shield, these items were acquired through civilian sources and not through a DOD program because none existed. Other examples include a fluid called "slickem" that causes a loss of traction.”
““We were wondering about this slickem stuff,” the tall one said. “Oh, sure, slickem,” Dale said. “It's kind of neat stuff, actually. It's a long-chain polymer, kind of a gooey plastic. It's injected into the line at Pump One and”—she looked at Toni—”Pump Two? Anyway, it kind of gums up the oil, not much, just enough to slow the turbulent flow so it doesn't ball up inside the line, and instead uses its energy to push itself down the pipeline to Valdez..."”
“Later, through addition of a chemical substance called “slickem”, the flow rate was increased, to the point where by 1980 Alaskan oil made a genuine contribution to the world's crude supplies.”
“The initial capacity of the Alaskan pipeline was 1.7 million barrels per day. With the addition of a chemical nicknamed “slickem,” which reduced drag within the pipeline and thus improved the ease of flow, the pipeline's capacity was boosted to 2.1 million barrels per day.”
“A special introductory section describes the simple tools needed for carving and how to make them; how to prepare a "slickem-sharp" and illustrates the basic techniques of whittling.”
“Seldom used by the home craftsman or carver are two sharpening devices often used by whittlers and barbers: the "slickem-sharp" and the strop.”
“Even a new knife will need to be sharpened, since it has a chisel edge. Finish the job by stroking the blade up and down on what's known as a slickem stick, which is a piece of planed wood with abrasive cloth attached to it, or a leather strap known as a strop.”
“Meanwhile the original 'slickem' concept turns virtually any US warship into a strategic launch platform, but particularly nuclear-powered attack submarines whose primary role was previously to act as anti-submarine warfare platforms themselves.”
“The U.S., for example, will not allow Soviet inspectors aboard its submarines to count sea-launched cruise missiles — "slickems" to the trade — and proposes taking these numbers on faith. Surely you jest, the Soviets respond. They have a point, a U.S. official concedes: "I wonder how happy we would be about leaving slickems unverified when the Soviets mount mount their own program."”
“On the other hand there is also much agreement that advances in weapons technology have enormously complicated effective monitoring of arms limitation agreements. Sea-launched cruise missiles (SLCMs, or "slickems") are an example.”
CEFR level
B1
Intermediate
This word is part of the CEFR B1 vocabulary — intermediate level.
This word is part of the CEFR B1 vocabulary — intermediate level.