retardant: Meaning and Definition of

re•tard•ant

Pronunciation: (ri-tär'dnt), [key]
— n. Chem.
  1. any substance capable of reducing the speed of a given reaction.
—adj.
  1. retarding or tending to retard (usually used in combination): fire-retardant construction materials.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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