Slows

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /slaːz/

Definitions

1. The act of making something move at a reduced speed | The process of causing a decrease in the pace of an event or action | The phenomenon of diminishing the rate of progress or change in an activity or movement
2. The action of reducing the speed of an object or process | The ability to decrease the rapidity of a particular event or movement | The occurrence of hindering or delaying progress in various activities
3. The process involved in decreasing the velocity of movement or activity

Etymology: The verb "slows" is simply the third person singular present tense of "slow," following the regular pattern of English verbs. The base verb "slow" came into English from Middle English "slowen," meaning to become or make slow. This, in turn, is built upon the adjective "slow," which has a much older history in the language. "Slow" as an adjective is inherited from Old English "slāw," meaning sluggish or inactive. This word has Germanic roots, and is related to Old High German "slāo" and Dutch "sloom," both carrying the sense of dullness or lack of speed. Over time, English speakers began to use "slow" as a verb, first attested in the 15th century, to describe the act of reducing speed or making something less rapid. The "s" ending in "slows" is the standard third person singular marker that English verbs take in the present tense, a grammatical feature that has been present since the Middle English period. The overall formation of the word is thus regular, with no surprising detours in meaning or dramatic shifts in usage.

Synonyms: decelerates, reduces speed

Antonyms: accelerates, speeds up