n. A reduction in speed, or a decrease in the level of production, etc.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
n. the act of slowing down or falling behind
Word Usage
"The maker of industrial goods from controls to tools market cap $37 billion is a bellwether as the word slowdown creeps into parlance in unsettling ways, especially as politicos yammer about the U.S debt cap."