retreat
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
English[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
From Middle English retret, from Old French retrait or retret, from Latin retractus, from retraho. Doublet of retract.
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
retreat (plural retreats)
- The act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous, or unpleasant.
- c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s VVell, that Ends VVell”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:
- In a retreat he outruns any lackey.
- The act of reversing direction and receding from a forward position.
- A peaceful, quiet place affording privacy or security.
- 1891, Thomas Hardy, chapter IV, in Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented […], volume I, London: James R[ipley] Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., […], →OCLC, phase the first (The Maiden), pages 40–41:
- In a large bedroom upstairs, the window of which was thickly curtained with a great woollen shawl lately discarded by the landlady, Mrs. Rolliver, were gathered on this evening nearly a dozen persons, all seeking vinous bliss; all old inhabitants of the nearer end of Marlott, and frequenters of this retreat.
- 1692, Roger L'Estrange, “Fable 100: An Old Man and a Lion”, in Fables of Aesop, page 115:
- ... he built his son a house of pleasure, on purpose to keep him out of harm's way; and spared neither art nor cost to make it a delicious retreat.
- 1700, [John] Dryden, “The Flower and the Leaf: Or, The Lady in the Arbour. A Vision.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
- That pleasing shade they sought, a soft retreat / From sudden April showers, a shelter from the heat.
- (rare and obsolete, euphemistic) A peaceful, quiet place in which to urinate and defecate: an outhouse; a lavatory.
- A period of retirement, seclusion, or solitude.
- We both need a week retreat after those two stressful years working in the city.
- A period of meditation, prayer or study.
- Withdrawal by military force from a dangerous position or from enemy attack.
- The general opted for a swift retreat because he saw his troops were vastly outnumbered.
- A signal for a military withdrawal.
- A bugle call or drumbeat signaling the lowering of the flag at sunset, as on a military base.
- A military ceremony to lower the flag.
- (chess) The move of a piece from a threatened position.
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
act of pulling back or withdrawing
|
quiet place affording privacy
|
to turn back, retreat — see return
outhouse — see outhouse
lavatory — see toilet
period of meditation, prayer, or study
|
Verb[edit]
retreat (third-person singular simple present retreats, present participle retreating, simple past and past participle retreated) (intransitive)
- To withdraw from a position, go back.
- To withdraw military forces
- The general refused to order his soldiers to retreat, despite being vastly outnumbered.
- To withdraw military forces
- (of a glacier) To shrink back due to generally warmer temperatures.
- To slope back.
- 1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 111:
- His face was a fair weakness, his chin retreated, and his hair lay in crisp, almost flaxen curls on his low forehead; his eyes were rather large, pale blue, and blankly staring.
- a retreating forehead
Antonyms[edit]
Translations[edit]
retreat — see withdraw
to withdraw military forces
|
Etymology 2[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Verb[edit]
retreat (third-person singular simple present retreats, present participle retreating, simple past and past participle retreated)
- Alternative spelling of re-treat
Further reading[edit]
Anagrams[edit]
Norwegian Bokmål[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from English retreat. Doublet of retrett.
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
retreat m (definite singular retreaten, indefinite plural retreater, definite plural retreatene)
- a period of meditation, prayer or study; retreat
- a location for such activities
Usage notes[edit]
- Prior to the 2005 spelling reform, this noun was considered grammatically neuter.
References[edit]
Norwegian Nynorsk[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from English retreat. Doublet of retrett.
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
retreat m (definite singular retreaten, indefinite plural retreatar, definite plural retreatane)
- a period of meditation, prayer or study; retreat
- a location for such activities
Usage notes[edit]
- Prior to a revision made alongside the 2005 Bokmål spelling reform, this noun was considered grammatically neuter.
References[edit]
- “retreat” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English doublets
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/iːt
- Rhymes:English/iːt/2 syllables
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with quotations
- English terms with rare senses
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English euphemisms
- English terms with usage examples
- en:Chess
- English verbs
- English intransitive verbs
- English terms prefixed with re-
- English heteronyms
- en:Buildings
- en:Rooms
- en:Toilet (room)
- Norwegian Bokmål terms borrowed from English
- Norwegian Bokmål terms derived from English
- Norwegian Bokmål doublets
- Norwegian Bokmål terms with IPA pronunciation
- Norwegian Bokmål lemmas
- Norwegian Bokmål nouns
- Norwegian Bokmål masculine nouns
- Norwegian Nynorsk terms borrowed from English
- Norwegian Nynorsk terms derived from English
- Norwegian Nynorsk doublets
- Norwegian Nynorsk terms with IPA pronunciation
- Norwegian Nynorsk lemmas
- Norwegian Nynorsk nouns
- Norwegian Nynorsk masculine nouns