retreat

English Online Dictionary. What means retreat‎? What does retreat mean?

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English retret, from Old French retrait or retret, from Latin retractus, from retraho. Doublet of retract, retrait, and ritratto.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈtɹiːt/, /ɹəˈtɹiːt/, /ɹiˈtɹiːt/
• Rhymes: -iːt

Noun

retreat (plural retreats)

1. The act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous, or unpleasant.
   1. The act of reversing direction and receding from a forward position.
   2. (military) Withdrawal by a military force from a dangerous position or from enemy attack.

2. A peaceful, quiet place affording privacy or security.
3. (rare and obsolete, euphemistic) A peaceful, quiet place in which to urinate and defecate: an outhouse; a lavatory.
4. A period of retirement, seclusion, or solitude.

5. A period of meditation, prayer or study.
6. (military) A signal for a military withdrawal.
7. (military) A bugle call or drumbeat signaling the lowering of the flag at sunset, as on a military base.
8. (military) A military ceremony to lower the flag.
9. (chess) The move of a piece from a threatened position.

Derived terms

• beat a retreat, beat a hasty retreat
• managed retreat
• Rural Retreat

Related terms

• retract

Translations

Verb

retreat (third-person singular simple present retreats, present participle retreating, simple past and past participle retreated) (intransitive)

1. To withdraw from a position, go back.
   1. To withdraw military forces

2. To shrink back due to generally warmer temperatures. (of a glacier)
3. To slope back.

Antonyms

• advance

Derived terms

• duty to retreat

Translations

Etymology 2

From re- +‎ treat.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɹiːˈtɹiːt/
• Rhymes: -iːt

Verb

retreat (third-person singular simple present retreats, present participle retreating, simple past and past participle retreated)

1. Alternative spelling of re-treat

Further reading

• Retreat in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Anagrams

• treater, tree rat

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Borrowed from English retreat. Doublet of retrett.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rɪˈtriːt/

Noun

retreat m (definite singular retreaten, indefinite plural retreater, definite plural retreatene)

1. a period of meditation, prayer or study; retreat
2. a location for such activities

Usage notes

• Prior to the 2005 spelling reform, this noun was considered grammatically neuter.

References

• “retreat” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “retreat” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Borrowed from English retreat. Doublet of retrett.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rɪˈtriːt/

Noun

retreat m (definite singular retreaten, indefinite plural retreatar, definite plural retreatane)

1. a period of meditation, prayer or study; retreat
2. a location for such activities

Usage notes

• Prior to a revision made alongside the 2005 Bokmål spelling reform, this noun was considered grammatically neuter.

References

• “retreat” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.