adj.
Pronunciation: ' tär-d ə - ˌ gr ā d
Function: noun
Etymology: ultimately from Latin tardigradus slow-moving, from tardus slow + gradi to step, go ― more at GRADE
Date: 1860
: any of a phylum (Tardigrada) of microscopic invertebrates with four pairs of stout legs that live usually in water or damp moss ― called also water bear