1. (n.) Proceeding by steps or degrees; advancing, step by step, as in ascent or descent or from one state to another; regularly progressive; slow; as, a gradual increase of knowledge; a gradual decline.

2. (n.) An antiphon or responsory after the epistle, in the Mass, which was sung on the steps, or while the deacon ascended the steps.

3. (n.) A service book containing the musical portions of the Mass.

4. (n.) A series of steps.

ambling cautious circumspect claudicant crawling creeping creeping like snail deliberate dilatory easy even faltering flagging foot-dragging gentle halting hobbled hobbling idle inchmeal indolent lagging languid languorous lazy leisurely limping lumbering moderate piecemeal poking poky regular relaxed reluctant sauntering shuffling slack slothful slow slow as death slow as molasses slow as slow slow-crawling slow-foot slow-going slow-legged slow-moving slow-paced slow-poky slow-running slow-sailing slow-stepped sluggish snail-paced snaillike staggering steady step-by-step strolling tentative toddling tortoiselike tottering trudging turtlelike unhurried waddling