[slow] adj [ME, fr. OE slaw; akin to OHG sleo dull] (bef. 12c) 1 a: mentally dull: stupid "a ~ student" b: naturally inert or sluggish
2. a: lacking in readiness, promptness, or willingness b: not hasty or precipitate "was ~ to anger" 3 a: moving, flowing, or proceeding without speed or at less than usual speed "traffic was ~" b: exhibiting or marked by low speed "he moved with ~ deliberation" c: not acute "a ~ disease" d: low, gentle "~ fire"
4: requiring a long time: gradual "a ~ recovery"
5: having qualities that hinder rapid progress or action "a ~ track"
6. a: registering behind or below what is correct "the clock is ~" b: less than the time indicated by another method of reckoning c: that is behind the time at a specified time or place
7. a: lacking in life, animation, or gaiety: boring b: marked by reduced sales or patronage "business was ~" -- slow.ish adj -- slow.ness n
[2]slow adv (15c): slowly usage Some commentators claim that careful writers avoid the adverb slow, in spite of the fact that it has had over four centuries of usage "have a continent forbearance till the speed of his rage goes slower --Shak.". In actual practice, slow and slowly are not used in quite the same way. Slow is almost always used with verbs that denote movement or action, and it regularly follows the verb it modifies "beans ... are best cooked long and slow --Louise Prothro". Slowly is used before the verb "a sense of outrage, which slowly changed to shame --Paul Horgan" and with participial adjectives "a slowly dawning awareness ... of the problem --Amer. Labor". Slowly is used after verbs where slow might also be used "burn slow or slowly" and after verbs where slow would be unidiomatic "the leadership turned slowly toward bombing as a means of striking back --David Halberstam". [3]slow vt (1557): to make slow or slower: slacken the speed of "~ a car"--often used with down or up ~ vi: to go or become slower "production of new cars ~ed sharply" syn see delay