What is the meaning of slack?

noun

• Dust consisting of a mixture of small coal fragments and coal dust and dirt that sifts out when coal is passed over a sieve.
• A noticeable deterioration in performance or quality.
  • usage: "the team went into a slump"; "a gradual slack in output"; "a drop-off in attendance"; "a falloff in quality"
  • synonyms: slump, drop-off, falloff, falling off
• A stretch of water without current or movement.
  • usage: "suddenly they were in a slack and the water was motionless"
  • synonyms: slack water
• A soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot.
  • synonyms: mire, quagmire, quag, morass
• The quality of being loose (not taut. )
  • usage: "he hadn't counted on the slackness of the rope"
  • synonyms: slackness
• A cord or rope or cable that is hanging loosely.
  • usage: "he took up the slack"

verb

• Avoid responsibilities and work, be idle.
• Be inattentive to, or neglect.
  • usage: "He slacks his attention"
• Release tension on.
  • usage: "slack the rope"
• Make less active or fast.
  • usage: "He slackened his pace as he got tired"; "Don't relax your efforts now"
  • synonyms: slacken, slack up, relax
• Become slow or slower.
  • usage: "Production slowed"
  • synonyms: slow, slow down, slow up, slacken
• Make less active or intense.
  • synonyms: slake, abate
• Become less in amount or intensity.
  • usage: "The storm abated"; "The rain let up after a few hours"
  • synonyms: abate, let up, slack off, die away
• Cause to heat and crumble by treatment with water.
  • usage: "slack lime"
  • synonyms: slake

adjective

• Not tense or taut.
  • usage: "the old man's skin hung loose and grey"; "slack and wrinkled skin"; "slack sails"; "a slack rope"
  • synonyms: loose
• Flowing with little speed as e. G. At the turning of the tide.
  • usage: "slack water"
• Lacking in rigor or strictness.
  • usage: "such lax and slipshod ways are no longer acceptable"; "lax in attending classes"; "slack in maintaining discipline"
  • synonyms: lax