retardant

adjective

re·​tar·​dant ri-ˈtär-dᵊnt How to pronounce retardant (audio)
: serving or tending to retard
a growth-retardant substance
retardant noun

Examples of retardant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Still, with crews on the ground and retardant and water drops, firefighters were able to keep the fire from spreading to Elderberry Canyon, the Castaic Hydroelectric Power Plant and surrounding communities, according to Cal Fire. Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025 Aerial firefighters have laid down fire retardant over the mountains, painting the peaks in red lines. Npr Staff, NPR, 13 Jan. 2025 Pink flame retardant on a car in the Mandeville Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles on Saturday. Terry Dickerson, NBC News, 16 Jan. 2025 Specialized aircraft are dropping massive amounts of water and colorful fire retardant to aid thousands of firefighters on the ground – and some fly breathtakingly low to do it. George Petras, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for retardant 

Word History

First Known Use

1642, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of retardant was in 1642

Dictionary Entries Near retardant

Cite this Entry

“Retardant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retardant. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

retardant

adjective
re·​tar·​dant ri-ˈtärd-ᵊnt How to pronounce retardant (audio)
: serving or tending to retard
flame-retardant fabrics

More from Merriam-Webster on retardant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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