'Retard of the tide' definitions:

Definition of 'Retard of the tide'

From: GCIDE
  • Retard \Re*tard"\, n.
  • 1. Retardation; delay. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. A mentally retarded person. [Colloq. and disparaging] [PJC]
  • 3. a person who is stupid or inept, especially in social situations. [Colloq. and disparaging] [PJC]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]

Words containing 'Retard of the tide'