re-tired /rɪˈtɪரədəl/ adj 1 [no. comp.] (of a person) having stopped working, usually because of age: My father is retired/is a retired doctor. 2 old-fashionful (of a place) far from crowds and large towns
re·tire·ment /ri'taɪəment/ -'taɪər-/ n 1 [C;U] (a case of) retiring (RETIRE): His employers gave him a gold watch on his retirement. | We've had two retirements in our office this year. | a retirement present → see also EARLY RETIREMENT 2 [S;U] the period after one has retired: What will you do to pass your time during your retirement? | a long and happy retirement | a retirement pension
re'tirement,home n old PEOPLE'S HOME
re'tirement,pension n OLD AGE PENSION
re'tirement,plan n AmE for PENSION PLAN
re-tir-ing /ri'taɪərɪŋ/ adj (typical of a person) who generally avoids the company of others; SHY and RESERVED: Jane is a shy retiring girl/has a retiring nature, and hates parties.
re·tort¹ /ri'tɔːrt/ v [T] to make a RETORT: 'Of course not,' she retorted. | [+(that)] He retorted that it was all my fault. → see ANSWER (USAGE)
retort² n a quick, angry, rude, or amusing answer
retort $ ^{3} $ n a bottle with a long narrow bent neck, used for heating chemicals
re·touch /,ri'tʌtʃ/ v [T] to improve (a picture or photograph) by adding small strokes with a brush or pencil
re-trace /riˈtreɪs, riː-/ v [T] to go back over (especially a journey or a course of events): The police have succeeded in retracing his movements on the night of the crime. | She retraced her steps (=went back exactly the way she had come) to try to find her lost ring.
re·tract /rɪˈtrækt/ v [ɑːt] fml 1 to state, especially officially, that (a statement or offer that one has made) is not true or can no longer be accepted; WITHDRAW: At the trial, the prisoner retracted his confession. 2 to (cause to) draw back or in: The aircraft's undercarriage retracted as it climbed into the air. | A cat can retract its claws, but a dog can't. ︷able adj: an aircraft with a retractable undercarriage ︸ion /ˈtrækʃən/ n [C;U] The newspaper was forced to publish a retraction of all the allegations they had made against her.
re·trac·tile /rr'træktail|l-tl/ adj tech (especially of a CLAW) that can be retracted (RETRACT)
re-train /,ri'trein/ v [i;T] to learn, or teach, the skills of a different job, especially because one is (about to become) unemployed —retraining n [U]
re·tread¹ /,ri'tred/ also remould BrE || recap AmE — v [T] to renew the rubber covering on the bare surface of (a worn tyre)
re-tread² /'ri:tred/ n 1 also remould BrE || recap AmE — a retreaded tyre 2 AmE RETARD 3 AmE a person, especially an older one, who has been trained to do a kind of work which is different from what they did before
re·treat¹ /rɪˈtrɪt/ ♂ 1 [C;U(from, to)] (an act of) retreating: Napoleon's retreat from Moscow | The army fell back in full retreat. | (fig.) The latest concessions mark a significant retreat from the President's hard-line policy. → compare ADVANCE 2 [the S] a military signal for retreating: The general ordered the bugler to sound the retreat. 3 [C] a place into which one can go for peace and safety: He has a little retreat in the mountains. 4 [C;U] (the practice of spending) a period of prayer, thought, and religious study, with a group: They spent a week in retreat/on a retreat. → see also beat a retreat (BEAT)
retreat² v [1(from, to)] to move back or leave a centre of fighting or other activity, especially when forced to do so: The defeated army had to retreat hastily (from the field of battle to the coast). | firefighters retreating from an uncontrollable forest fire | (fig.) The opposition groups forced the government to retreat on their proposed pay legislation. → compare ADVANCE, RETIRE
re-trench /rɪˈtrentʃ/ v [1] fml (of a government, business etc) to arrange to spend less; cut costs —~ment n [C;U] The worsening economic situation has forced the government into a policy of retrenchment.
re·tri·al /'ri:traɪəl/ n an act of trying a law case again; new trial: Some members of the jury had been bribed, so the judge ordered a retrial.
ret·ri·bu·tion /,retrə'bju:ʃən/ n [S:U(for)] fml (a) severe deserved punishment: The public are demanding swift and effective retribution for this act of terrorism.
re-trib·u·tive /rɪˈtrɪbjəʊtɪv/ adj fɪml done as a deserved punishment: retributive measures
re·triev·al /rɪˈtriːvəl/ n [U] film the act or process of retrieving: The court ordered the retrieval of the confiscated funds. a computerized retrieval system that will enable you to find the information you want within a few seconds. I'm afraid the situation is beyond/past retrieval. (=cannot now be put right)
re-trieve /rɪˈtriːv/ v 1 [T(from)] usually fml or tech to find and bring back; regain: I went and retrieved the bag I had left on the train. | This computer can retrieve stored information in a matter of seconds. | Wreckage from the crashed plane was retrieved from the ocean. 2 [T] to put right; make up for (a mistake, loss, defeat etc): She tried to retrieve the situation by making profuse apologies. 3 [|;T] (of a dog) to bring back (shot birds) —retrievable adj
re·triev·er /ri'triːvər/ n a type of middle-sized hunting dog trained to bring back shot birds
retro /'retrəʊ/ adj deliberately using styles of fashion design from the recent past: retro clothing stores
retro- → see WORD FORMATION TABLE
ret•ro•ac•tive /,retrou’æktiv•/ also retrospective adj frn
(especially of a law) having effect on the past as well as on the
future: a retroactive pay increase —ly adv
ret•ro•fit /'retrəu,fit/ v [T] to MODERNIZE an old building vehicle etc, by repairing it and putting in modern parts and equipment, so that it can continue to be used: The company hopes to win a $10 million contract to restore and retrofit the 1890s theater.
ret•ro•flex /'retrəfleks/ also ret•ro•flexed /-flekst/
adj 1 tech (of a speech sound) made with the TIP (=point) of the tongue curled upwards and backwards 2 fml turned of bent sharply backwards
ret•ro•grade /'retrəgreɪd/ adj fml derog seeming to show return to an earlier and worse state: Selling off all out nationalized companies to private ownership is a very retro grade step.
ret•ro•gress /ˌreɪtrəˈɡres/ v [ˈlɒtə] fml or tech to go back to all earlier and worse state ︷ion /ˈɡreʃən/ n [U]
retro-gres-sive /,retrə'gresiv•/ adj fml derog retrograde
retrogressive changes to the tax laws ︷ly adv
'retro-rocket n a ROCKET that is used for slowing down of changing the direction of an aircraft or spacecraft by firing forwards
ret•ro•spect /'retrəspekt/ n in retrospect thinking back to the past from the present: My school life seems happier in retrospect than it seemed at the time. | In retrospect, it is now clear that this battle was a turning point in the war.
ret•ro•spec•tion /,retra'spekʃən/ n [U] thought about the past: the pleasures of retrospection
retro-spec-tive¹ /, retrə'spektiv↔ / adj 1 concerned with a thinking about the past: in a retrospective mood 2 (especially of a law) RETROACTIVE ︷ly adv
retrospective² also ,retrospective ,exhi'bition n show of the work of a painter, SCULPTOR etc from his or he earliest years up to the present time
re-trous-sé /rəˈtruːseɪl/ seɪ/ adj Fr, often apprec (of nose) turned up at the lower end
ret•ro•vi•rus /'retrəu,vaɪərəs/ n tech a VIRUS of a type that includes some CANCER viruses and the AIDS virus, but that also has a quality that makes it useful for GENETIC ENGINEERING
ret·si·na /ret'sɪnə/ n [U] a Greek wine that tastes of the RESIN (=juice) of certain trees
re-turn¹ /rɪˈtɜːnˈl-ɜːrn/ v 1 [l(from, to)] to come or go back to a former place, condition, or activity: When are you returning home/returning to London? | What time does your wife return from work? | The dispute between transport worker and management has been settled and services will return to normal tomorrow. | He gave up drinking for a while, but soon returned to his old ways. | Let's return to the main point of the discussion. → see also RETURNER 2 [T(to)] to give, put, or send back: I'm going to the library to return my books. Fortunately the hostages were returned unharmed.