What is "slow match"

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.

Match \Match\ (m[a^]ch), n. [OE. macche, F. m[`e]che, F. m[`e]che, fr. L. myxa a lamp nozzle, Gr. my`xa mucus, nostril, a lamp nozzle. Cf. Mucus.] Anything used for catching and retaining or communicating fire, made of some substance which takes fire readily, or remains burning some time; esp., a small strip or splint of wood or cardboard dipped at one end in a substance which can be easily ignited by friction, as a preparation of phosphorus or chlorate of potassium.

Match tub, a tub with a perforated cover for holding slow matches for firing cannon, esp. on board ship. The tub contains a little water in the bottom, for extinguishing sparks from the lighted matches.

Quick match, threads of cotton or cotton wick soaked in a solution of gunpowder mixed with gum arabic and boiling water and afterwards strewed over with mealed powder. It burns at the rate of one yard in thirteen seconds, and is used as priming for heavy mortars, fireworks, etc.

Slow match, slightly twisted hempen rope soaked in a solution of limewater and saltpeter or washed in a lye of water and wood ashes. It burns at the rate of four or five inches an hour, and is used for firing cannon, fireworks, etc.

n. A slow-burning fuse used to ignite a matchlock musket or fire a cannon.

n. match or fuse made to burn slowly and evenly

Slow match or match cord is the slow-burning cord or twine fuse used by early gunpowder musketeers, artillerymen, and soldiers to ignite matchlock muskets, cannons, and petards. Slow matches were most suitable for use around black-powder weapons because a slow match could be roughly handled without going out, and only presented a small glowing tip instead of a large flame that risked igniting nearby gunpowder.