Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “slicke” come from?

slicke (Middle English) comes from Old English slīc, from Proto-Germanic slīkaz, from Proto-Indo-European sleyǵ- — to glide, smooth, spread; to smear; to creep; to...

Ancestry of “slicke”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishslīcsleek, smooth; crafty, cunning, slick
2Proto-Germanicslīkazslick, smooth; sleek, smooth
3Proto-Indo-Europeansleyǵ-to glide, smooth, spread; to smear; to creep; to...

Words derived from “slicke”

  • sleek
  • slick
  • slicker
  • sleeker
  • slickness
  • sleekness
  • sleekly
  • slickly
  • sleekit
  • sleeking
  • sleeky
  • slicken
  • slickster
  • slickered
  • unslick
  • unsleek
  • sleeken
  • superslick
  • ultraslick
  • rainslicker
  • supersleek
  • sleekish
  • slickwater
  • slickhead
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sleyǵ- →