What is "slow coach"

Slow \Slow\ (sl[=o]), a. [Compar. Slower (sl[=o]"[~e]r); superl. Slowest.] [OE. slow, slaw, AS. sl[=a]w; akin to OS. sl[=e]u blunt, dull, D. sleeuw, slee, sour, OHG. sl[=e]o blunt, dull, Icel. sl[=o]r, sl[ae]r, Dan. sl["o]v, Sw. sl["o]. Cf. Sloe, and Sloth.]

1. Moving a short space in a relatively long time; not swift; not quick in motion; not rapid; moderate; deliberate; as, a slow stream; a slow motion.

2. Not happening in a short time; gradual; late.

   These changes in the heavens, though slow, produced Like change on sea and land, sidereal blast.
   --Milton.

3. Not ready; not prompt or quick; dilatory; sluggish; as, slow of speech, and slow of tongue.

   Fixed on defense, the Trojans are not slow To guard their shore from an expected foe.
   --Dryden.

4. Not hasty; not precipitate; acting with deliberation; tardy; inactive.

   He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding.
   --Prov. xiv. 29.

5. Behind in time; indicating a time earlier than the true time; as, the clock or watch is slow.

6. Not advancing or improving rapidly; as, the slow growth of arts and sciences.

7. Heavy in wit; not alert, prompt, or spirited; wearisome; dull. [Colloq.]
   --Dickens. Thackeray.

   Note: Slow is often used in the formation of compounds for the most part self-explaining; as, slow-gaited, slow-paced, slow-sighted, slow-winged, and the like.

   Slow coach, a slow person. See def.7, above. [Colloq.]

   Slow lemur, or Slow loris (Zo["o]l.), an East Indian nocturnal lemurine animal ( Nycticebus tardigradus) about the size of a small cat; -- so called from its slow and deliberate movements. It has very large round eyes and is without a tail. Called also bashful Billy.

   Slow match. See under Match.

   Syn: Dilatory; late; lingering; tardy; sluggish; dull; inactive.

   Usage: Slow, Tardy, Dilatory. Slow is the wider term, denoting either a want of rapid motion or inertness of intellect. Dilatory signifies a proneness to defer, a habit of delaying the performance of what we know must be done. Tardy denotes the habit of being behind hand; as, tardy in making up one's acounts.