early vs slack

early

noun
  • A shift (scheduled work period) that takes place early in the day. 

adv
  • At a time before expected; sooner than usual. 

  • Soon; in good time; seasonably. 

adj
  • Near the start or beginning. 

  • Near the start of the day. 

  • Having begun to occur; in its early stages. 

  • At a time in advance of the usual or expected event. 

  • Arriving a time before expected; sooner than on time. 

  • Of a star or class of stars, hotter than the sun. 

slack

noun
  • A temporary speed restriction where track maintenance or engineering work is being carried out at a particular place. 

  • Unconditional listening attention given by client to patient. 

  • A tidal marsh or shallow that periodically fills and drains. 

  • The part of anything that hangs loose, having no strain upon it. 

  • Small coal; coal dust. 

  • A valley, or small, shallow dell. 

adv
  • Slackly. 

adj
  • Moderately warm. 

  • Vulgar; sexually explicit, especially in dancehall music. 

  • Not active or busy, successful, or violent. 

  • Excess; surplus to requirements. 

  • Lax; not tense; not firmly extended. 

  • Lacking diligence or care; not earnest or eager. 

  • Lax. 

  • Moderate in speed. 

  • Weak; not holding fast. 

verb
  • To slacken. 

  • To lose cohesion or solidity by a chemical combination with water; to slake. 

How often have the words early and slack occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )