retrogradation

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word retrogradation. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word retrogradation, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say retrogradation in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word retrogradation you have here. The definition of the word retrogradation will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofretrogradation, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: rétrogradation

English

Etymology

From retrograde +‎ -ation.

Noun

retrogradation (countable and uncountable, plural retrogradations)

  1. Motion in a retrograde manner.
  2. Decline, degradation.
  3. (chemistry) A reaction that takes place in gelatinized starch when the amylose and amylopectin chains realign themselves, largely responsible for bread becoming stale.
    The major reason that bread stales is not moisture loss, but rather a process called retrogradation, in which the starch molecules in the bread crystallize.