slater

From Middle English sclater, equivalent to slate +‎ -er.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈsleɪtɚ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsleɪtə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪtə(ɹ)

slater (plural slaters)

1. One who lays slates, or whose occupation is to slate buildings.
2. (Scotland, Australia, New Zealand) Any terrestrial isopod crustacean of the genus Porcellio and allied genera; a woodlouse.
3. A harsh critic; one who slates or denigrates something.
   • 1901, The Critic, volume 39, page 562:

     Plain speaking, now and then, is very necessary. The author will call the critic a “blackguard slater," of course, but he need not be a blackguard. Ferocity of language only hurts his effect.

• sea slater (Ligia oceanica)

• butcher boy
• sowbug
• woodlouse
• roly-poly
• sai bug
• saisai gnat

• Laster, ratels, alters, stelar, Tarsle, talers, streal, staler, estral, alerts, tarsel, resalt, Salter, tralse, strale, laster, Trelas, laters, artels, salter

• slatter, slettar, sclater
• (Orkney) slatero, slateroo, slateo, slaterick

• IPA^(key): [ˈsletər]

slater (plural slaters)

1. woodlouse