ret•ro•grade
Pronunciation: (re'tru-grād"), [key]
— adj., v., -grad•ed, -grad•ing.
—adj.
- moving backward; having a backward motion or direction; retiring or retreating.
- inverse or reversed, as order.
- exhibiting degeneration or deterioration.
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- moving in an orbit in the direction opposite to that of the earth in its revolution around the sun.
- appearing to move on the celestial sphere in the direction opposite to the natural order of the signs of the zodiac, or from east to west. Cf.direct(def. 25).
- proceeding from the last note to the first: a melody in retrograde motion.
- contrary; opposed.
—v.i.
- to move or go backward; retire or retreat.
- to decline to a worse condition; degenerate.
- to have a retrograde motion.
—v.t.
- to turn back.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.