Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
SLATE
I. noun see: slit
Date: 14th century
a piece of construction material (as laminated rock) prepared as a shingle for roofing and siding, a dense fine-grained metamorphic rock produced by the compression of various sediments (as clay or shale) so as to develop a characteristic cleavage, a tablet (as of slate) used for writing on,
4. a written or unwritten record (as of deeds) , a list of candidates for nomination or election,
5. a dark purplish gray, any of various grays similar in color to common roofing slates, slate adjective slatelike adjective
II. transitive verb (slated; slating)
Date: 15th century
to cover with slate or a slatelike substance , to designate for a specified purpose or action ; schedule ,
III. transitive verb (slated; slating)
Etymology: probably alteration of 1slat
Date: 1825
to thrash or pummel severely, to criticize or censure severely