- [uncountable]
a type of dark grey stone that splits easily into thin flat layers 板岩；石板 - [countable]
a small thin piece of slate, used for covering roofs （盖房顶的）石板瓦 - [countable] (North American English)
a list of the candidates in an election （选举中的）候选人名单 a slate of candidates 候选人名单 the Democratic slate 民主党候选人名单
- [countable]
a small sheet of slate in a wooden frame, used in the past in schools for children to write on （旧时学生用以写字的）石板
Word OriginMiddle English sclate, sklate, shortening of Old French esclate, feminine synonymous with esclat ‘piece broken off’, from esclater ‘to split’. Sense (2) of the verb arose from the practice of noting a name on a writing slate.
Idioms
a blank canvas/slate
a person or thing that has the potential to be developed or changed in many different ways 触控式电脑；平板电脑 The building is a blank canvas for an clever investor to potentially make a lot of money. 对于一个聪明的投资者来说，这座建筑是一张空白的画布，可能会赚大钱。 Alice was a blank slate in the first film because she had memory loss and knew nothing about herself. 爱丽丝在第一部电影中是空白的，因为她失去了记忆，对自己一无所知。
a clean slate/sheet
a record of your work or behaviour that does not show any mistakes or bad things that you have done 无过错记录；清白的历史 No government operates with a completely clean slate. 没有一个政府是完全清白的。
wipe the slate clean
to agree to forget about past mistakes or arguments and start again with a relationship 把以往过错一笔勾销；一消前愆；捐弃前嫌