pedetentous

English

Etymology

From Latin pes, pedis (“foot”) + tendō (“to stretch out”). Compare Latin tentim (“by degrees”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˌpɛdɪˈtɛntəs/

Adjective

pedetentous (not comparable)

(obsolete) Proceeding step by step; advancing cautiously.
- 1838, Sydney Smith, Lord John Russell:
  that pedetentous pace and pedetentous mind in which it behooves the wise and virtuous improver to walk

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
(See the entry for “pedetentous”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.)