Standard Lemma guide

tardigrade

adj · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈtɑɹdɪˌɡɹeɪd/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪd

1

adj

Meaning 1

Sluggish; moving slowly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A member of the animal phylum Tardigrada.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: water bear

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A sloth, a neotropical mammal of suborder Folivora (syn. Tardigrada).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

an arthropod of the division Tardigrada

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: arthropod

History

Etymology

From Latin tardigradus (“slowly stepping”), from tardus (“slow”) + gradior (“step, walk”), equivalent to Latin tardus + -i- + -grade.

From translingual Tardigrada.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: դանդաղկոտ (dandaġkot) — sluggish, moving slowly
  • Armenian: դանդաղաշարժ (dandaġašarž) — sluggish, moving slowly
  • Finnish: hidasliikkeinen — sluggish, moving slowly
  • Finnish: jähmeä — sluggish, moving slowly
  • Latin: lentus — sluggish, moving slowly
  • Polish: niemrawy — sluggish, moving slowly
  • Polish: powolny — sluggish, moving slowly
  • Russian: ме́дленный (médlennyj) — sluggish, moving slowly
  • Swedish: trög — sluggish, moving slowly
  • Swedish: långsam — sluggish, moving slowly