Sleek is a variant of slick, from Middle English sliken ('to make smooth'), from Old English -slician, of Germanic origin. The form is best read as a historical transfer or inheritance, with its older language material carrying the main semantic load. As an adjective and verb, it carries the sense "smooth and glossy; elegantly streamlined", with the older formation still helping explain the modern use. Relevant historical forms include Old English slician. Derivative forms include sleekly, sleekness; related words include slick.