1. (n.) The act of retarding; hindrance; the act of delaying; as, the retardation of the motion of a ship; -- opposed to acceleration.

2. (n.) That which retards; an obstacle; an obstruction.

3. (n.) The keeping back of an approaching consonant chord by prolonging one or more tones of a previous chord into the intermediate chord which follows; -- differing from suspension by resolving upwards instead of downwards.

4. (n.) The extent to which anything is retarded; the amount of retarding or delay.

afterthought amentia arrest arrestation arrested development arrestment backwardness bind blithering idiocy block blockage blocking bureaucratic delay check clogging closing up closure constraint constriction control cooling cooling down cooling off cramp cretinism curb curtailment deceleration delay delayage delayed reaction detainment drag dragging ease-off ease-up fixation flagging foot-dragging half-wittedness halt hampering hang-up hindering hindrance holdback holdup idiocy idiotism imbecility impediment infantilism inhibition injunction insanity interdict interference interim interruption jam lag lagging legal restraint let letdown letup logjam mental defectiveness mental deficiency mental handicap mental retardation minus acceleration mongolianism mongolism mongoloid idiocy monopoly moratorium moronism moronity negativism nuisance value obstruction obstructionism occlusion opposition paperasserie pause profound idiocy prohibition protection protectionism protective tariff rationing red tape red-tapeism red-tapery rein repression reprieve resistance respite restraint restraint of trade restriction retardance retardment retrenchment self-control setback simple-wittedness simplemindedness simpleness simplicity slack-up slackening slow-up slowdown slowing slowing down slowness slowup squeeze stay stay of execution stop stoppage stranglehold stricture subnormality suppression suspension tariff wall thought control tie-up time lag wait