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Webster 1913 Edition


Retard

Re-tard′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Retarded
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Retarding
.]
[L.
retardare
,
retardatum
; pref.
re-
re- +
tardare
to make slow, to delay, fr.
tardus
slow: cf. F.
retarder
. See
Tardy
.]
1.
To keep delaying; to continue to hinder; to prevent from progress; to render more slow in progress; to impede; to hinder;
as, to
retard
the march of an army; to
retard
the motion of a ship
; – opposed to
accelerate
.
2.
To put off; to postpone;
as, to
retard
the attacks of old age; to
retard
a rupture between nations.
Syn. – To impede; hinder; obstruct; detain; delay; procrastinate; postpone; defer.

Re-tard′

,
Verb.
I.
To stay back.
[Obs.]
Sir. T. Browne.

Re-tard′

,
Noun.
1.
Retardation; delay.
Retard of the tide
, or
Age of the tide
,
the interval between the transit of the moon at which a tide originates and the appearance of the tide itself. It is found, in general, that any particular tide is not principally due to the moon’s transit immediately proceeding, but to a transit which has occured some time before, and which is said to correspond to it. The retard of the tide is thus distinguished from the lunitidal interval. See under
Retardation
.
Ham. Nav. Encyc.

Webster 1828 Edition


Retard

RET'ARD

,
Verb.
T.
[L. retardo; re and tardo, to delay, tardus, slow, late. See Target.]
1.
To diminish the velocity of motion; to hinder; to render more slow in progress; as, to retard the march of an army; to retard the motion of a ship. The resistance of air retards the velocity of a cannon ball. It is opposed to accelerate.
2.
To delay; to put off; to render more late; as, to retard the attacks of old age; to retard a rupture between nations. My visit was retarded by business.

RET'ARD

,
Verb.
I.
To stay back. [Not in use.]