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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Slow \Slow\ (sl[=o]), adjective [Compar. {Slower} (sl[=o]"[~e]r); superl. {Slowest}.] [OE. slow, slaw, AS. sl[=a]w; akin to OS. sl[=e]u blunt, dull, D. sleeuw, slee, sour, OHG. sl[=e]o blunt, dull, Icel. sl[=o]r, sl[ae]r, Dan. sl["o]v, Sw. sl["o]. Cf. {Sloe}, and {Sloth}.]
1. Moving a short space in a relatively long time; not swift; not quick in motion; not rapid; moderate; deliberate; as, a slow stream; a slow motion.
2. Not happening in a short time; gradual; late.
These changes in the heavens, though slow, produced Like change on sea and land, sidereal blast. --Milton.
3. Not ready; not prompt or quick; dilatory; sluggish; as, slow of speech, and slow of tongue.
Fixed on defense, the Trojans are not slow To guard their shore from an expected foe. --Dryden.
4. Not hasty; not precipitate; acting with deliberation; tardy; inactive.
He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding. --Prov. xiv. 29.
5. Behind in time; indicating a time earlier than the true time; as, the clock or watch is slow.
6. Not advancing or improving rapidly; as, the slow growth of arts and sciences.
7. Heavy in wit; not alert, prompt, or spirited; wearisome; dull. [Colloq.] --Dickens. Thackeray.
Note: Slow is often used in the formation of compounds for the most part self-explaining; as, slow-gaited, slow-paced, slow-sighted, slow-winged, and the like.
{Slow coach}, a slow person. See def.7, above. [Colloq.]
{Slow lemur}, or {Slow loris} (Zo["o]l.), an East Indian nocturnal lemurine animal ({Nycticebus tardigradus}) about the size of a small cat; -- so called from its slow and deliberate movements. It has very large round eyes and is without a tail. Called also {bashful Billy}.
{Slow match}. See under {Match}.
Syn: Dilatory; late; lingering; tardy; sluggish; dull; inactive.
Usage: {Slow}, {Tardy}, {Dilatory}. Slow is the wider term, denoting either a want of rapid motion or inertness of intellect. Dilatory signifies a proneness to defer, a habit of delaying the performance of what we know must be done. Tardy denotes the habit of being behind hand; as, tardy in making up one's acounts.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
slowest
adverb: most slowly
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |