slat

Etymology

Old French esclat. Doublet of slate and éclat.

noun

1. A thin, narrow strip or bar of wood (lath), metal, or plastic.
   slats of a window blind
   To keep people out, the Nature Conservancy, which owns the cave, has blocked off the entrance with huge iron slats. 2014, Elizabeth Kolbert, The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, Picador, page 208
2. (aviation) A control surface that extends forwards and downwards from the leading edge of a wing, leaving a gap between it and the leading edge, in order to modify the airflow around the wing so as to allow flight at a higher angle of attack without stalling, lowering the aircraft's stall speed.
3. (skiing, slang) A ski.
   I never got down that hill without losing at least one of my skis! Clarence didn't lose his slats. The straps went over his boots and held them in place. If he fell, he risked breaking a foot or leg, but the slats stayed on. 2005, Richard V. Shriver, Gold to Refine, page 31
4. A thin piece of stone; a slate.

verb

1. To construct or provide with slats.
2. To slap or strike; to beat, pummel; to hurl or throw down violently.
3. (Britain, dialectal) To split; to crack.
4. To set on; to incite.