Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “slyke” come from?

slyke (Middle English) comes from Middle English slīken, from Old English slīcian — to make sleek, slick, smooth, or glossy.

slyke (Middle English): slick, slippery; deceptive, malicious

Definitions

  1. slick, slippery; deceptive, malicious

Ancestry of “slyke”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishslīken—
2Old Englishslīcianto make sleek, slick, smooth, or glossy

Words derived from “slyke”

  • 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 Old English slīcian →