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retrograde

 
(rĕt'rə-grād') pronunciation
adj.
  1. Moving or tending backward.
  2. Opposite to the usual order; inverted or reversed.
  3. Reverting to an earlier or inferior condition.
  4. Astronomy.
    1. Of or relating to the orbital revolution or axial rotation of a planetary or other celestial body that moves clockwise from east to west, in the direction opposite to most celestial bodies.
    2. Of or relating to the brief, regularly occurring, apparently backward movement of a planetary body in its orbit as viewed against the fixed stars, caused by the differing orbital velocities of Earth and the body observed.
  5. Archaic. Opposed; contrary.
intr.v., -grad·ed, -grad·ing, -grades.
  1. To move or seem to move backward. See synonyms at recede1.
  2. To decline to an inferior state; degenerate.

[Middle English, from Latin retrōgradus, from retrōgradī, to go back : retrō-, retro- + -gradus, walking (from gradī, to go).]

retrogradation ret'ro·gra·da'tion (-rō-grā-dā'shən) n.
retrogradely ret'ro·grade'ly adv.

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Roget's Thesaurus:

retrograde

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adjective

    Directed or facing toward the back or rear: backward, retrogressive. See precede/follow.

verb

  1. To move in a reverse direction: back, backpedal, backtrack, fall back, retreat, retrocede, retrogress. Idioms: retrace one's steps. See forward/backward.
  2. To move back or away from a point, limit, or mark: ebb, recede, retract, retreat, retrocede, retrogress. See approach/retreat.
  3. To become lower in quality, character, or condition: atrophy, decline, degenerate, descend, deteriorate, sink, worsen. Idioms: go bad, go to pot, go to seed, go to the dogs. See better/worse.

Antonyms by Answers.com:

retrograde

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adj

Definition: backward
Antonyms: forward

adj

Definition: for the worse
Antonyms: forward-looking, positive

(Lat. cancrizans : ‘crab-like’).

A succession of notes played backwards. It has always been regarded as an esoteric way of handling a musical structure and one that does not invite the listener's appreciation. In the Middle Ages and Renaissance it was applied to cantus firmi; it is important in Schoenberg's system of composition with 12 notes, in which 12-note rows may be used in retrograde and retrograde inversion.



Word Tutor:

retrograde

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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: To cause to deteriorate or to move backward.

pronunciation All that is human must retrograde if it does not advance. — Edward Gibbon (1737-1794)

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!


the spontaneous irreversible change of a liquid colloidal solution to an insoluble or gelled state. The term is used especially of aqueous amylose solutions in which microcrystalline precipitates of aligned, hydrogen-bonded amylose molecules occur on standing.

Previous:retrogene, retroendocytosis, retro+
Next:retrograde, retrogress, retroinhibition

Going backward; retracting a former course; catabolic.

  • r. pyelography — radiography of the kidney after introduction of contrast medium through the ureter.

v

To move backward, degenerate, or return to an earlier state or worse condition.

Random House Word Menu:

categories related to 'retrograde'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to retrograde, see:

  See crossword solutions for the clue Retrograde.
Translations:

Retrograde

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Dansk (Danish)
adj. - tilbagegående, i tilbagegang, omvendt, retrograd
n. - degenereret person
v. intr. - gå tilbage, bevæge sig baglæns, degenerere, være retrograd

Nederlands (Dutch)
achteruit gaan(d), slecht iemand

Français (French)
adj. - rétrograde
n. - rétrograde
v. intr. - rétrograder

Deutsch (German)
n. - Rückschritt, Rückwärtsbewegung
adj. - rückschrittlich, rückläufig
v. - rückläufig sein, zurückgehen

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - έκφυλος, διεφθαρμένος
adj. - παλινδρομικός, οπισθοδρομικός, ανάδρομος
v. - οπισθοδρομώ

Italiano (Italian)
retrogrado, retrogradare

Português (Portuguese)
n. - retrógrado (m)
adj. - retrógrado
v. - retroceder, recuar

Русский (Russian)
ретроград, реакционный, движущийся в обратном направлении, двигаться в обратном направлении, ухудшаться

Español (Spanish)
adj. - retrógrado
n. - retrógrado
v. intr. - retroceder, retrogradar, degenerar

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - tillbakagång
adj. - tillbakagående, omvänd, avtagande
v. - gå tillbaka

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
后退的, 退步的, 倒退的, 后退的事物, 倒退, 逆行, 退步

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 後退的, 退步的, 倒退的
n. - 後退的事物
v. intr. - 倒退, 逆行, 退步

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 후퇴하는, 반대의, 퇴화하는
n. - 후퇴 , 반대 , 퇴화
v. intr. - 후퇴하다, 소급하다, 퇴보하다

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 後退する, 逆行する, 退歩する, 逆の

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) تخلف, تراجع (صفه) تراجعي, عكسي (فعل) يتراجه, يتردى‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮נסוג אחורה, הפוך, מידרדר‬
n. - ‮אדם מתנוון‬
v. intr. - ‮נסוג, הידרדר, הלך והחמיר‬


 
 
Related topics:
retromorphosis
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Al rovescio (music)

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