The word for today is…

slake (verb):

intransitive verb
1 archaic : subside, abate
2: to become slaked : crumble

transitive verb
1 archaic : to lessen the force of : moderate
2: satisfy, quench

3: to cause (a substance, such as lime) to heat and crumble by treatment with water : hydrate

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : The uses of slake are varied and fluid. Its most common meaning is synonymous with satisfy or quench—one can slake anything from curiosity to literal thirst. In chemistry, slake can mean “to cause a substance to heat and crumble by treatment with water,” and is used specifically in the noun phrase slaked lime, which refers to a compound used in binding agents such as plaster and cement. The word has some obsolete meanings as well: in Shakespearean times, slake meant “to subside or abate” or “to lessen the force of.” The most erudite word enthusiasts may also be aware of earlier meanings of slake, such as “to slacken one’s efforts” or “to cause to be relaxed or loose.” These early meanings recall the word’s Old English ancestor sleac, which not only meant “slack” but is also slack’s source.

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David is a retired surgeon originally from London who came to New Zealand twenty-seven years ago after being delayed in Singapore for thirteen years on leaving the UK. He was coerced into studying Latin...