What is "retardation of the tide"

Retardation \Re`tar*da"tion\, n. [L. retardatio: cf. F. retardation.]

1. The act of retarding; hindrance; the act of delaying; as, the retardation of the motion of a ship; -- opposed to acceleration.

   The retardations of our fluent motion.
   --De Quinsey.

2. That which retards; an obstacle; an obstruction.

   Hills, sloughs, and other terrestrial retardations.
   --Sir W. Scott.

3. (Mus.) The keeping back of an approaching consonant chord by prolonging one or more tones of a previous chord into the intermediate chord which follows; -- differing from suspension by resolving upwards instead of downwards.

4. The extent to which anything is retarded; the amount of retarding or delay. Retardation of the tide.

   1. The lunitidal interval, or the hour angle of the moon at the time of high tide any port; the interval between the transit of the moon and the time of high tide next following.

   2. The age of the tide; the retard of the tide. See under Retard, n.