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Let's ask this AI app! (mander.xyz)
submitted 7 months ago by to c/science_memes@mander.xyz
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[–] 1 point 7 months ago (2 children)

Not only has a medical term, it was used in regards to spoilation of food, for instance they might say that they added a toxic preservative to excuse the phrase, Retard the spoilation of the food. Turns out the toxic preservatives are very bad. Who knew? Besides for all of us.

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  • [–] 4 points 7 months ago

    It is still used to refer to things like fire retardant. To retard (pronounced ruh-tard and not ree-tard) means to slow or restrict the progress of something such as spoilage or fire spreading and is still a word with ligitimate uses, with the outdated 'medical' usage being a reference to a mentally disabled person's slower mental progress.

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