a. [ Compar. Slower superl. Slowest. ] [ OE. slow, slaw, AS. slāw; akin to OS. slēu blunt, dull, D. sleeuw, slee, sour, OHG. slēo blunt, dull, Icel. slōr, slær, Dan. slöv, Sw. slö. 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. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. Not happening in a short time; gradual; late. [ 1913 Webster ] These changes in the heavens, though slow, produced
Like change on sea and land, sidereal blast. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. Not ready; not prompt or quick; dilatory; sluggish; as, slow of speech, and slow of tongue. [ 1913 Webster ] Fixed on defense, the Trojans are not slow
To guard their shore from an expected foe. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ] 4. Not hasty; not precipitate; acting with deliberation; tardy; inactive. [ 1913 Webster ] He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding. Prov. xiv. 29. [ 1913 Webster ] 5. Behind in time; indicating a time earlier than the true time; as, the clock or watch is slow. [ 1913 Webster ] 6. Not advancing or improving rapidly; as, the slow growth of arts and sciences. [ 1913 Webster ] 7. Heavy in wit; not alert, prompt, or spirited; wearisome; dull. [ Colloq. ] Dickens. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ] ☞ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]
Slow coach, a slow person. See def.7, above. [ Colloq. ] --
Slow lemur, or
Slow loris (Zool.), 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. [ 1913 Webster ]
Syn. -- Dilatory; late; lingering; tardy; sluggish; dull; inactive. -- 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. [ 1913 Webster ] | 
