Definition

1. Noun:
   • A period of still water at the turn of the tide: "slack water" refers to the brief period when the tide is neither rising nor falling, resulting in minimal or no horizontal water movement.
   • A stretch of water without current: It can also describe any body of water, such as in a river or canal, that is calm and lacks a perceptible flow.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • We timed our passage through the narrows for the period of slack water.
  • The boat drifted gently in the slack water of the inlet.
  • Fishermen often find the best fishing just before slack water ends.

Advanced Usage

• "at slack water": during the period of minimal tidal current.
  • The divers entered the water at slack water for safety.
• "slack-water navigation": navigation that takes advantage of or is planned around these calm periods.
  • Slack-water navigation was crucial for early steamboats on the river.

Variants and Related Words

• Slack tide (n): A synonym for "slack water," specifically referring to the tidal context.
  • The slack tide is the safest time for swimming here.
• Slack (adj): In a nautical context, can describe a loose rope or, by extension, a period of inactivity in the tide.
  • The line went slack as the current died.

Synonyms

• Stand of tide: A technical synonym for the period when the tidal height remains constant.
• Still water: Water that is not flowing; a general term that can describe conditions similar to slack water.

Related Phrases

• To hit the slack: (Informal) To arrive or take action during the slack water period.
  • If we can hit the slack, we'll save a lot of fuel fighting the current.

Related Idioms

• (Like) slack water: Used figuratively to describe a period of calm or inactivity between two busier or more turbulent phases.
  • The office was like slack water between the morning rush and the lunch hour chaos.

Noun

1. the occurrence of relatively still water at the turn of the (low) tide
2. a stretch of water without current or movement
   • suddenly they were in a slack and the water was motionless