retardant

[ ri-tahr-dnt ]

nounChemistry.
  1. any substance capable of reducing the speed of a given reaction.

adjective
  1. retarding or tending to retard (usually used in combination): fire-retardant construction materials.

Origin of retardant

1
First recorded in 1635–45; retard + -ant

Other words from retardant

  • re·tard·ance, re·tard·an·cy, noun

Words Nearby retardant

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How to use retardant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for retardant

retardant

/ (rɪˈtɑːdənt) /


noun
  1. a substance that reduces the rate of a chemical reaction

adjective
  1. having a slowing effect

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