Re·tard, n.
 1. Retardation; delay.
 Retard of the tide, or  Age of the tide, the interval between the transit of the moon at which a tide originates and the appearance of the tide itself.  It is found, in general, that any particular tide is not principally due to the moon's transit immediately proceeding, but to a transit which has occured some time before, and which is said to correspond to it. The retard of the tide is thus distinguished from the lunitidal interval. See under Retardation. --Ham. Nav. Encyc.

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