slat
slat — noun
1. a slender, rectangular strip of rigid material — timber, synthetic sheets, or sh
a slender, rectangular strip of rigid material — timber, synthetic sheets, or sheet-metal, for instance — laid in parallel rows to form a continuous flat surface, such as the ones found in venetian blinds, fencing, or bed slat bases.
Hiro adjusted the slats of the window blinds to let in more morning light.
collocation: slats + of + blinds / window blinds
One of the wooden slats on the garden bench had cracked after years of rain.
material: wooden / metal / plastic slats
The old fence was missing several slats, so the neighbours could see right through.
Elena laid the mattress directly on the wooden slats of the bed frame.
- strip
more general; a strip can be short or flexible, while a slat is specifically long, flat, and rigid
- lath
very similar in shape but technically refers to strips used in plastering or roofing; much less common today
- plank
wider and thicker; a plank is heavy, a slat is narrow and light
- batten
a strip of wood used for securing or reinforcing, not typically part of a set forming a surface
用法筆記
Often used in the plural (slats) when referring to an assembled set, such as in blinds, fences, or bed bases. The singular is used when talking about one individual strip.
2. a movable panel attached to the front edge of an aircraft's wing that extends or
a movable panel attached to the front edge of an aircraft's wing that extends or retracts to change the airflow, giving the pilot more control during takeoff and landing at slower speeds.
The pilot extended the slats before the final approach to reduce the aircraft's stall speed.
active: pilot extends / retracts the slats
During pre-flight inspection, Wren noticed a small dent on the left-wing slat.
pre-flight inspection of slats
Slats work together with flaps to give the wing extra lift at low speeds.
The ground crew replaced a damaged slat on the Boeing 777's right wing before departure.
- leading-edge slat
the full technical term; 'slat' is the shortened form used in aviation contexts
- flap
often confused with slats, but flaps are on the trailing edge and deploy differently
用法筆記
An aeronautical term. Slats are distinct from flaps: slats are on the leading (front) edge of the wing, while flaps are on the trailing (back) edge. Beginners often confuse the two.
常見錯誤
slat — verb
1. to build or fit something with thin, parallel strips of material — for example,
to build or fit something with thin, parallel strips of material — for example, fitting a window frame with slatted blinds or constructing a bed base with wooden slats.
The cabinet doors were slatted to allow air to circulate inside.
passive: were slatted
Samir slatted the old window frame himself using reclaimed pine boards.
active: [person] slatted [object]
A slatted wooden bench was placed along the wall of the garden shed.
The carpenter carefully slatted the ceiling of the covered porch with cedar strips.
- fit with slats
a descriptive paraphrase rather than a direct synonym; more common than the verb slat
文法句型
slat + object
be slatted with [material]
用法筆記
Very uncommon in active voice; far more frequent as past participle slatted used adjectivally (e.g., a slatted door, slatted furniture). The simple present form (I slat, he slats) is extremely rare in everyday English.