retractable

See also: rétractable

English

Etymology

retract +‎ -able

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɹiˈtɹæktɪbəl/, /ɹəˈtɹæktəbəl/

Adjective

retractable (not comparable)

1. Capable of being retracted; retractile.
   • 1960 February, “The first of London's new Piccadilly Line trains is delivered”, in Trains Illustrated, page 94:

     Features such as trackless doors, mercury-type door interlocks, roof-mounted door fault indicator lights, rubber window glazing, improved retractable shoegear and a modified electro-pneumatic brake system designed to facilitate maintenance and improve reliability, which have proved their worth on the prototype trains, are continued in the new stock.

   • 2021 May 19, David Clough, “Swiss precision meets UK growth”, in RAIL, number 931, page 57:

     He says the company's FLIRT design, in particular its retractable steps, provides greater accessibility, while the technology is highly innovative and reliable.

Derived terms

• irretractable
• nonretractable
• thermoretractable
• unretractable

 

Translations

capable of being retracted

• Catalan: retractable (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 伸缩自如的

• Finnish: sisäänvedettävä
• French: rétractable (fr) m or f, rétractile (fr) m or f
• German: einziehbar (de)
• Italian: retrattile (it), rientrabile, retraibile, ritrattabile
• Manx: yn-chraplaghey, yn-hirkaghey, yn-yrjaghey
• Russian: втя́гивающийся (ru) (vtjágivajuščijsja), убира́ющийся (ru) (ubirájuščijsja)
• Swedish: infällbar, indragbar

See also

• pull-down

Noun

retractable (plural retractables)

1. A retractable pen.
   • 1979 October 12, Douglas Adams, chapter 21, in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, London: Pan Books, →ISBN:

     Somewhere in the cosmos, he said, […] there was also a planet entirely given over to Biro life forms. […] Veet Voogajig suddenly claimed to have found this planet, and to have worked there for a while driving a limousine for a family of cheap green retractables […]

Catalan

Etymology

From retractar +‎ -able.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [rə.tɾəkˈtab.blə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [re.tɾakˈta.ble]

Adjective

retractable m or f (masculine and feminine plural retractables)

1. retractable
2. thermoretractable

   Synonym: termoretractable

Antonyms

• irretractable

Derived terms

• retractabilitat

Further reading

• “retractable” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.