slack water

noun

1. a period when a body of water is between tides.
2. water that is free of currents.

slack water

noun

1. the period of still water around the turn of the tide, esp at low tide

Word History and Origins

Origin of slack water¹

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

The benefits of slack water reservoirs and electric power altered those currents.

From Seattle Times

The juveniles had trouble reaching the net, getting lost in the reservoir’s slack waters without a strong current to pull them.

From Los Angeles Times

Prospectors’ eyes are trained to look for opportunity: Eddies, abrupt shifts in direction caused by downed trees, and slack water “drop-out zones,” where gold, 19 times heavier than water, will fall as flow slows.

From Seattle Times

Olys are picky about where they live, preferring slack water and areas fed by creeks and streams.

From Seattle Times

The eight large dams along the Snake and Columbia rivers created 325 miles of slack water in reservoirs.

From New York Times