slick [ME] Although it is not recorded until after the Norman Conquest, slick, originally meaning ‘glossy’ was probably in Old English as it is a Germanic word. The sense ‘plausible’ dates from the late 16th century; ‘skilful, adroit’ dates from the early 19th century. Sleek [LME] is a later variant of slick. Slight [ME] is related, for it originally meant ‘smooth’ although negative senses also exist in related languages. The sense ‘treat with disrespect’ is found from the late 16th century, from the earlier sense of ‘to level’.