2. The act of withdrawing something advanced, stated, claimed, or done; declaration of change of opinion; recantation.
Other men's insatiable desire of revenge hath wholly beguiled both church and state of the benefit of all
my either retractions or concessions.
Eikon Basilike. 3. (Physiol.) (a) The act of retracting or shortening; as, the retraction of a severed muscle; the retraction
of a sinew. (b) The state or condition of a part when drawn back, or towards the center of the body.
Retractive
(Re*tract"ive) a. Serving to retract; of the nature of a retraction. — Re*tract"ive*ly, adv.
Retractive
(Re*tract"ive), n. That which retracts, or withdraws.
Retractor
(Re*tract"or) n. One who, or that which, retracts. Specifically: (a) In breech-loading firearms,
a device for withdrawing a cartridge shell from the barrel. (b) (Surg.) An instrument for holding apart
the edges of a wound during amputation. (c) (Surg.) A bandage to protect the soft parts from injury
by the saw during amputation. (d) (Anat. & Zoöl.) A muscle serving to draw in any organ or part. See
Illust. under Phylactolæmata.
Retraict
(Re*traict") n. Retreat. [Obs.] Bacon.
Retrait
(Re*trait") n. [It. ritratto, fr. ritrarre to draw back, draw, fr. L. retrahere. See Retract.] A
portrait; a likeness. [Obs.]
Whose fair retrait I in my shield do bear.
Spenser. Retransform
(Re`trans*form") v. t. To transform anew or back. — Re`trans*for*ma"tion n.
Retranslate
(Re`trans*late") v. t. To translate anew; especially, to translate back into the original language.
Retraxit
(||Re*trax"it) n. [L., (he) has withdrawn. See Retract.] (O. Eng. Law) The withdrawing, or
open renunciation, of a suit in court by the plaintiff, by which he forever lost his right of action. Blackstone.
Retread
(Re*tread") v. t. & i. To tread again.
Retreat
(Re*treat") n. [F. retraite, fr. retraire to withdraw, L. retrahere; pref. re- re- + trahere to draw.
See Trace, and cf. Retract, Retrace.]
1. The act of retiring or withdrawing one's self, especially from what is dangerous or disagreeable.
In a retreat he otruns any lackey.
Shak. 2. The place to which anyone retires; a place or privacy or safety; a refuge; an asylum.
He built his son a house of pleasure, and spared no cost to make a delicious retreat.
L'Estrange.
That pleasing shade they sought, a soft retreat
From sudden April showers, a shelter from the heat.
Dryden. 3. (Mil. & Naval.) (a) The retiring of an army or body of men from the face of an enemy, or from any
ground occupied to a greater distance from the enemy, or from an advanced position. (b) The withdrawing
of a ship or fleet from an enemy for the purpose of avoiding an engagement or escaping after defeat.
(c) A signal given in the army or navy, by the beat of a drum or the sounding of trumpet or bugle, at
sunset (when the roll is called), or for retiring from action.
A retreat is properly an orderly march, in which circumstance it differs from a flight.
