# slows

/ˈsɫoʊz/ (US) · /slˈəʊz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/slows
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. to reduce speed

verb · CEFR A2

to move more slowly or to make something move more slowly.

For teachers: to reduce the speed or rate of progress of an object or process.

- The car slows down as it approaches the sharp turn in the road.
- The global economy typically slows during periods of high interest rates as borrowing costs for major corporations increase.

Usage: Often used with the particle 'down' to describe a physical reduction in speed.

### 2. milk sickness

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Technical

an old name for a sickness people got from drinking milk from cows that ate poisonous plants.

For teachers: a historical term for milk sickness, an acute illness caused by ingesting dairy products or meat from cattle that have consumed white snakeroot.

- In the 1800s, many settlers in the Midwest suffered from a mysterious illness called the slows.
- Medical historians believe that Nancy Hanks Lincoln may have succumbed to the slows after consuming contaminated milk in rural Indiana.

Usage: Usually appears with the definite article 'the'.

Teaching tip: This sense is archaic and highly specialized; learners will likely only encounter it in historical literature or medical history texts.

## Examples

- The car slows down as it approaches the red light.
- The runner slows her pace during the final lap to save energy for the sprint.
- Economic growth often slows during periods of high interest rates as consumers reduce their spending on luxury goods.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.