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Petard vs Retard - What's the difference?

petard | retard |

As nouns the difference between petard and retard

is that petard is a small, hat-shaped explosive device, used to blow a hole in a door or wall while retard is retardation; delay.

As verbs the difference between petard and retard

is that petard is to attack or blow a hole in (something) with a petard while retard is to keep delaying; to continue to hinder; to prevent from progress; to render more slow in progress; to impede; to hinder.

petard

English

(wikipedia petard)

Alternative forms

* pettard

Noun

(en noun)
  • (historical) A small, hat-shaped explosive device, used to blow a hole in a door or wall.
  • Anything potentially explosive, in a non-literal sense.
  • * (rfdate), Shakespeare, Hamlet
    • For tis the sport to haue the enginer / Hoist with his owne petar
  • A loud firecracker.

    • Derived terms

    * hoist by one's own petard

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To attack or blow a hole in (something) with a petard.
  • *, I.56:
  • *:The souldier, if he but goe to besiege a cottage, to scale a castle, to rob a church, to pettard a gate, to force a religious house, or any villanous act, before he attempt it praieth to God for his assistance, though his intents and hopes be full-fraught with crueltie, murther, covetise, luxurie, sacrilege, and all iniquitie.

    • Anagrams

    * * * * ----

    retard

    English

    (wikipedia retard)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Retardation; delay.
  • (slang, offensive) A person with mental retardation.
    • Do all retards have a low I.Q.?
  • (slang, offensive) A stupid person, or one who is slow to learn.

    • Synonyms

    * (retardation) delay, hold-up, retardation * (person with mental retardation) idiot, tard (offensive), imbecile (disused medical term), mental deficient (legal term), moron (disused medical term), person with learning difficulties * (stupid person) See also

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To keep delaying; to continue to hinder; to prevent from progress; to render more slow in progress; to impede; to hinder
    • retard the march of an army
    retard the motion of a ship
  • To put off; to postpone.
    • to retard the attacks of old age
    to retard a rupture between nations
  • (obsolete) To be slow or dilatory to perform (something).
  • To decelerate; to slow down.
  • (obsolete) To stay back.
    • (Sir Thomas Browne)

    Synonyms

    * decelerate, hinder, slow, slow down * (postpone) postpone, put off * (stay back) hang back, stay back

    Antonyms

    * accelerate, speed, speed up * (postpone) * (stay back) come forward

    Derived terms

    * retarded

    References

    * IQ Basics, including formerly used medical terms for people with very low IQs

    Anagrams

    * English heteronyms ----