📖 R — The English dictionary · page 37

retirement — Everyday, meaning 1: Retirement is the time when a person stops working for good, usually because they are older.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Retirement is the time of life after someone has stopped working.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: In sport, retirement is when a player stops playing.↗ Example: Grandpa enjoys his retirement by fishing every day.↗ · We had a retirement party for our head teacher.↗ · She took early retirement to travel the world.↗ · The footballer announced his retirement.↗ · Nan moved into a retirement home near the sea.↗ · People often save money for their retirement.↗ · As for the Hippogriff, he accepted the position of the King's Own Rocking Horse--a situation left vacant by the retirement of the wooden one.↗

retiring — Everyday, meaning 1: Adjective: shy and quiet; not liking to be noticed: a retiring person.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Verb form: stopping work because of age.↗ e.g. My grandad is retiring next month.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Verb form (formal): going to bed, or going away to a quiet place.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Verb form (sport): leaving a race or game early, often from injury.↗ Example: Our retiring head teacher got a big card from every class.↗ · She was a quiet, retiring child who loved books.↗ · Grandma is retiring and plans to travel.↗ · The guests are retiring to bed.↗ · The driver is retiring from the race with a flat tyre.↗ · The retiring age is going up in many countries.↗ · The last sound Peter heard before he was quite alone were the mermaids retiring one by one to their bedchambers under the sea.↗

retort — Everyday, meaning 1: To answer quickly and sharply, often in an angry or clever way.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (noun) A quick, sharp or clever reply.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (science, old) A glass container with a long bent neck used for heating and distilling liquids.↗ Example: «You started it!» he retorted.↗ · She had a clever retort for every joke.↗ · «I'm not scared,» retorted the mouse.↗ · The alchemist heated the liquid in a glass retort.↗ · His rude retort got him in trouble.↗ · When teased, she retorted with a smile.↗ · "You do muddy it!" retorted the Wolf savagely.↗

retrace — Everyday, meaning 1: To retrace your steps is to go back along the same way you came.↗ Example: We must retrace our steps.↗ · The Peddler retraced his steps to the town.↗ · They retraced their steps to the hut.↗

retract — Everyday, meaning 1: To retract is to take back something you have said or agreed to.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To retract is to pull back into the body or case, as a cat draws in its claws.↗ Example: They could not retract the bargain.↗ · I wish to retract what I said.↗ · The cat can retract its claws.↗

retractable — Everyday, meaning 1: Able to be pulled back in or folded away when not in use.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Describing something that can slide or roll back into a case or body.↗ Example: Cats have retractable claws.↗ · The stadium has a retractable roof for rainy days.↗ · Click the retractable pen to make the tip come out.↗ · Our dog's lead is retractable.↗ · The plane's wheels are retractable and fold up after take-off.↗ · A tape measure has a retractable metal tape.↗

retracted — Everyday, meaning 1: Pulled back in: a cat with retracted claws.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (verb, past) Took back something said or written, admitting it was wrong.↗ e.g. "He retracted his statement."↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (science) Withdrawn or taken back, like a scientific paper that is retracted because it had mistakes.↗ Example: The cat walked with its claws retracted.↗ · The newspaper retracted the false story and said sorry.↗ · The snail retracted its horns when I touched them.↗ · He retracted what he said about cheating.↗ · The scientist's paper was retracted because the data was wrong.↗ · The pilot retracted the landing gear.↗

retraction — Everyday, meaning 1: A statement saying that something you said or printed before was wrong, taking it back.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (science) Pulling something back in or out of sight, like a cat pulling in its claws or a plane pulling up its wheels.↗ Example: The newspaper printed a retraction and an apology.↗ · He demanded a retraction of the unfair story.↗ · After the retraction, everyone knew the rumour was false.↗ · Retraction of a cat's claws keeps them sharp.↗ · Retraction of the plane's wheels happens just after take-off.↗ · The scientists issued a retraction when they found a mistake.↗

retrain — Everyday, meaning 1: To retrain is to learn new skills, usually for a different job.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To retrain someone or an animal is to teach them again or teach them something new.↗ Example: My aunt retrained as a nurse.↗ · The factory closed, so many workers retrained.↗ · We retrained our puppy to sit before eating.↗ · He is retraining to become a chef.↗ · The course helps people retrain for new jobs.↗

retreat — Everyday, meaning 1: To move back or away, especially from danger or an enemy.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (noun) The act of moving back.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (noun) A quiet place where you go to rest or be alone.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: To change your mind and stop saying or doing something: retreat from a promise.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: (noun) A short stay away from normal life for rest, prayer or planning.↗ Example: The soldiers retreated behind the hill.↗ · The tide retreats twice a day.↗ · The cat retreated under the bed during the storm.↗ · The tree house is my secret retreat.↗ · The glacier has retreated a long way.↗ · When the dog barked, we beat a hasty retreat.↗ · The teachers went on a planning retreat.↗ · And he pretended to retreat, turning away the head of his horse.↗

retreated — Everyday, meaning 1: Moved back or away, especially from danger or an enemy.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Went to a quiet, safe place.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Changed a decision or plan because of pressure.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (of water or ice) Went back: the glacier retreated.↗ Example: The soldiers retreated across the river.↗ · The cat retreated under the bed.↗ · She retreated to her room to read.↗ · The glacier has retreated a long way.↗ · The tide retreated, leaving shells on the sand.↗ · When the dog barked, we quickly retreated.↗ · The Mouse peeped out, crept furtively up his flank, and again biting him, retreated to his hole.↗

retribution — Everyday, meaning 1: Retribution is punishment that is deserved, given as payment for a wrong that has been done.↗ Example: "Retribution," replied the pasha.↗ · The hour of retribution had arrived.↗ · A just retribution fell upon the Eagle.↗ · behold, I will stir them up out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your retribution upon your own head; (Prophets JOL.4.7, JPS 1917)↗

retrieval — Everyday, meaning 1: Retrieval is getting something back, finding it and bringing it back from where it was («the retrieval of the lost boat»).↗ Everyday, meaning 2: In learning, retrieval is bringing something back into your mind from memory, like remembering a fact for a quiz.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: In computing, retrieval is finding and getting stored information, such as files or search results.↗ Example: Retrieval of the sunken ship took weeks.↗ · We do retrieval practice every Monday.↗ · Quizzes help with retrieval of facts.↗ · The search engine is good at information retrieval.↗ · The divers worked on the retrieval of the lost diamonds.↗ · Retrieval of old files can take a long time.↗ · Golden retrievers love the retrieval of balls.↗

retrieve — Everyday, meaning 1: To get something back from where it was left or lost.↗ e.g. Retrieve the ball from the garden.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (computing) To find and get back stored information.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (of a dog) To find and bring back something, such as a ball or a shot bird.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: To put right a bad situation.↗ Example: Dad climbed the ladder to retrieve the frisbee.↗ · The dog retrieved the stick from the pond.↗ · Can you retrieve the deleted file?↗ · Ask an adult to retrieve a ball from the road.↗ · Divers retrieved the box from the sea.↗ · The team tried to retrieve the game after a bad start.↗

retriever — Everyday, meaning 1: A retriever is a kind of dog bred to fetch and bring back birds that hunters have shot, for example the golden retriever and the Labrador retriever.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A retriever is anyone or anything that fetches and brings things back.↗ Example: Our golden retriever loves swimming in the lake.↗ · The retriever brought the stick back and dropped it at my feet.↗ · Labrador retrievers are often trained as guide dogs.↗ · A retriever has a soft mouth, so it carries things gently.↗ · The tennis club has a ball retriever on a stick.↗ · Retrievers need lots of exercise.↗ · My cousin's retriever has golden fur.↗

retro — Everyday, meaning 1: Copying or looking like the style of the past, especially the 1950s to 1990s.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) Old-fashioned in a fun or cool way.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: As a prefix «retro-» means «backwards», as in «retrograde» or «retrospective».↗ Example: Dad loves playing retro video games.↗ · The café has a cool retro look.↗ · She wore retro sunglasses from the 1970s.↗ · Retro sweets are sold in old-fashioned jars.↗ · Vinyl records are retro but popular again.↗ · The new phone has a retro design.↗

retrograde — Everyday, meaning 1: Going backwards, or getting worse instead of better.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (science, astronomy) Moving in the direction opposite to the usual one; for example, a planet seeming to move backwards across the night sky.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (medicine) «Retrograde amnesia» is losing memories from before an injury.↗ Example: Closing the library would be a retrograde step.↗ · Mars shows retrograde motion in the night sky.↗ · Venus spins in a retrograde direction, opposite to most planets.↗ · After the fall, he had retrograde amnesia and forgot the morning.↗ · Some moons orbit in a retrograde way.↗ · Going back to the old rules felt retrograde.↗ · If the sphere be rotated forward, good is implied, if in a retrograde manner evil is intended.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1887)↗

retrospect — Everyday, meaning 1: «In retrospect»: when you think about something afterwards, looking back on it, often seeing it differently.↗ Example: In retrospect, it was a mistake to leave my coat at home.↗ · In retrospect, the plan was too risky.↗ · Toad's adventures seemed funny only in retrospect.↗ · Looking back in retrospect, the war could have been avoided.↗ · In retrospect, the test was easier than I thought.↗ · The trip, in retrospect, was the best day of the year.↗

retrospection — Everyday, meaning 1: Thinking back about past events or about your own past.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Looking back to judge something after it has happened.↗ Example: At the end of the year we had a time of retrospection about what we learnt.↗ · In retrospection, the trip was great fun despite the rain.↗ · Grandad's stories are full of retrospection.↗ · Retrospection helps you see your mistakes clearly.↗ · The diary was written in quiet retrospection.↗ · In retrospect, I should have studied more.↗

return — Everyday, meaning 1: To return is to come back or go back to a place.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To return something is to give it back or bring it back.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A return is the going back, or the coming back: on her return.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A return (ticket, trip) is there and back.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: Return is also the key on a keyboard for a new line, and money earned back.↗ Everyday, meaning 6: To return can also mean to answer someone in speech.↗ Example: He drove 30 miles to the lake and returned home.↗ · She returned 4 library books.↗ · The shop returned $5 to him.↗ · The return trip took 2 hours.↗ · Please return your books by Friday.↗ · The swallows return every spring.↗ · A boomerang returns to the thrower.↗ · She bought a return ticket to the city.↗ · Press return to start a new line.↗ · "No, sir, by design," returned Aladdin.↗ · And Laban departed, and returned unto his place.↗ (Torah GEN.31.55, JPS 1917)↗ · Go say to them: Return ye to your tents.↗ (Torah DEU.5.30, JPS 1917)↗ · So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.↗ (Torah GEN.33.16, JPS 1917)↗ · And he returned, and came to Achish.↗ (Prophets 1SA.27.9, JPS 1917)↗ · Then David returned to bless his household.↗ (Prophets 2SA.6.20, JPS 1917)↗ · And Mordecai returned to the king's gate.↗ (Writings EST.6.12, JPS 1917)↗

returnable — Everyday, meaning 1: Able to be given or sent back, often for money back: «returnable bottles».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (formal) Must be given back by a certain time: «The form is returnable by Friday.».↗ Example: These bottles are returnable for ten cents each.↗ · The deposit is returnable if you bring the key back.↗ · Sale items are not returnable.↗ · The form is returnable to the office by Friday.↗ · Keep your receipt so the shoes are returnable.↗ · We took the returnable cans back to the shop.↗

reuben — Everyday, meaning 1: (a name) Reuben is a boy's name.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (Bible) Reuben was the eldest son of Jacob in the Bible and gave his name to one of the twelve tribes of Israel.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (USA) A Reuben is a hot sandwich of corned beef, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut on rye bread.↗ Example: Reuben is in my class.↗ · In the Bible, Reuben was Jacob's first son.↗ · Reuben tried to save Joseph from his brothers.↗ · Dad ordered a Reuben in New York.↗ · The tribe of Reuben was one of twelve.↗ · Reuben scored the winning goal.↗ · These are the families of Reuben.↗ (Torah EXO.6.14, JPS 1917)↗ · And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kiriathaim; (Torah NUM.32.37, JPS 1917)↗ · And the sons of Reuben: Hanoch, and Pallu, and Hezron, and Carmi.↗ (Torah GEN.46.9, JPS 1917)↗ · Among the divisions of Reuben there were great resolves of heart.↗ (Prophets JDG.5.15, JPS 1917)↗ · At the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.↗ (Prophets JDG.5.16, JPS 1917)↗ · These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; (Writings 1CH.2.1, JPS 1917)↗