Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Re-tāin'a-ble, a. p. 1129Capable of being retained.Re-tāin'er, n. p. 1129One who retains. 2. One who is retained or kept in service; an attendant; an adherent; a hanger-on. 3. Hence, a servant, not a domestic, but occasionally attending and wearing his master's livery.…Re-tāin'ment, n. p. 1129The act of retaining; retention.Re-tāin'-wall, n. p. 1129A wall erected to maintain and support a body of earth;—called also retaining-wall.Re-take', v. t. p. 1129To take or receive again. 2. To take from a captor; to recapture; as, to retake a ship or prisoners.Re-tāk'er, n. p. 1129One who takes again what has been taken; a recaptor. Kent.Re-tāl′i-āte, v. t. p. 1129To return the like for; to repay or requite by an act of the same kind as has been received; especially, to return evil for evil; as, to retaliate injuries. It is unlucky to be obliged to retaliate…Re-tāl'ĭ-āte, v. i. p. 1129To return like for like; as, to retaliate upon an enemy.Re-tăl/i-ā'tion, n. p. 1129The act of retaliating, or of returning like for like; as, (a.) The return of good for good;—in a good sense. (b.) The return of evil for evil;—in an ill sense. God takes what is done to others as…Re-tăl'i-a-tive, a. p. 1129Tending to retaliate; involving retaliation; retaliatory.Re-tā'l'i-a-to-ry, a. p. 1129Tending to or involving retaliation; retaliative; as, retaliatory measures; retaliatory edicts.Re-tārd′, v. t. p. 1129To keep delaying; to continue to hinder; to prevent from progress; to render more slow in progress; as, to retard the march of an army; to retard the motion of a ship; — opposed to accelerate. 2. To…Re-tärd', v. i. p. 1129To stay back. [Obs.] Browne.Rĕ'tar-dā'tion, n. p. 1129The act of retarding; hinderance; the act of delaying; as, the retardation of the motion of a ship. “The needless joltings and retardations of our fluent motion.” De Quincey. 2. That which retards…Re-tärd'a-tive, a. p. 1129Tending or serving to retard.Re-tārd’er, n. p. 1129One who retards, hinders, or delays.Re-tärd'ment, n. p. 1129The act of retarding or delaying. Cowley.Rĕtch, v. i. p. 1129To make an effort to vomit; to strain, as in vomiting. Beloved Julia, hear me still beseeching! (Here he grew inarticulate with retching.) Byron.Rētech, v. t. p. 1129To care for; to heed. [Obs.] Chaucer.Rēck'less, a. p. 1129Careless; reckless. [Obs.] Dryden.Rēck'less-ly, adv. p. 1129In a reckless manner; recklessly. [Obs.] Drayton.Rēck'less-ness, n. p. 1129Recklessness. [Obs.]Re-tē'eiōus, a. p. 1129Resembling net-work.Re-tēc'tion, n. p. 1129The act of disclosing or producing to view something concealed; as, the retection of the native color of the body. [Obs.] Boyle.Rē-tĕll', v. t. p. 1129To tell again.Rē'te mu-cō'sum p. 1129(Anat.) The layer of the skin intermediate between the cutis and the cuticle, the principal seat of color in man.Re-tēnt', n. p. 1129That which is retained.Re-tĕn′tion, n. p. 1129The act of retaining or keeping; the state of being retained or confined; custody. 2. The power of retaining; the faculty of the mind by which it retains ideas. No woman's heart So big to hold so…Re-tĕn′tive, a. p. 1129Having the power to retain; as, a retentive memory. Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron, Can be retentive to the strength of spirit. Shak.Re-tēn'tive, n. p. 1129That which retains or confines; a restraint. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.Re-tēn'tive-ly, adv. p. 1129In a retentive manner.Re-tēnʹtive-ness, n. p. 1129The quality of being retentive; as, retentiveness of memory.Rĕ'te-pōre, n. p. 1129(Zoöl.) A compound bryozoan, having usually a reticulated corallum.Re-tēx', v. t. p. 1129To unweave. [Obs.]Re-tĕxt'üre, n. p. 1129A second or new texture. Carlisle.Rē′ti-a-ry, n. p. 1129(Zoöl.) A spider which spins webs to catch its prey.Rē'ti-a-ry, a. p. 1129Net-like. Besides, this kind of work is in retiary, or hanging textures, and in embroideries. Browne. 2. Constructing or using a web, or net, to catch prey; — said of certain spiders. 3. Armed or…Rĕt′i-cence, n. p. 1130The state of being reticent, or observing continued silence; the refraining to speak of that which is suggested. “Such fine reserve and noble reticence.” Tennyson. 2. (Rhet.) A figure by which a…Rĕt'i-cen-cy, n. p. 1130Reticence.Rĕt'i-cent, a. p. 1130Inclined to keep silent; reserved; taciturn.Rĕt'i-cle, n. p. 1130A small net. 2. A reticule. [Rare.] 3. The system of cross lines or wires in the focus of a transit instrument, or of an equatorial, or other like instrument.Re-tĭc'u-lar, a. p. 1130Having the form of a net, or of net-work; formed with interstices; as, a reticular body or membrane. Reticular body (Anat.), the rete mucosum. — Reticular substance or tissue, cellular tissue.…Re-tĭc'ū-late or Re-tĭc'ū-lā'ted, a. p. 1130Resembling net-work; having the form, appearance, or structure of a net; netted. 2. (Bot.) Having distinct veins or lines crossing like net-work; as, a reticulate petal. 3. (Min.) Having sets of…Re-tic'u-lā'tion, n. p. 1130The state of being reticulated, or net-like; that which is reticulated; net-work; organization of substances resembling a net. Your account of the particular net you occupy in the great reticulation…Rĕt'i-cēle, n. p. 1130A little bag of net-work; a lady's work-bag, or a little bag to be carried in the hand. 2. A system of wires or lines in the focus of a telescope or other instrument; a reticle.Rĕt'i-fōrm, a. p. 1130Having the form of a net in texture; composed of crossing lines and interstices; as, the retiform coat of the eye.Rĕt'i-nā, n. p. 1130(Anat.) The semitransparent, internal nervous tissue of the eye which receives the impressions resulting in the sense of vision.Rĕt'i-nal, a. p. 1130Of, or relating to, the retina.Re-tin'a-lite, n. p. 1130(Min.) A translucent variety of serpentine, of a honey yellow or greenish-yellow color, having a resinous appearance. Dana.Rĕt'in-as-phālt' or Rĕt'in-as-phālt'um, n. p. 1130(Min.) Retinite. See RETINITE.Rĕt'in-ite, n. p. 1130(Min.) A mineral resin, usually of a yellowish-brown, sometimes of a green, yellow, or red color, found in roundish masses, sometimes with coal. It is inflammable, and is chiefly composed of…Rēt'i-nī'tis, n. p. 1130(Med.) Inflammation of the retina. Dunglison.Rĕt'i-noid, a. p. 1130Resin-like, or resiniform; resembling a resin without being such.Rĕt'/i-nūe, n. p. 1130The body of retainers who follow a prince or other distinguished person; a train of attendants; a suite. Others of your insolent retinue Do hourly carp and quarrel. Shak. To horse we got, and so Went…Rēt'i-pĕd, n. p. 1130(Ornith.) A bird the skin of whose tarsi is divided into small polygonal scales.Re-tir'a-cy, n. p. 1130Act of retiring, or state of being retired; retirement. [Rare.] Bartlett. 2. A sufficient fortune to retire upon; a competency. [U. S.] Bartlett.Rĕt'i-rāde', n. p. 1130A place for retiring to; especially (Fort.), a kind of retrenchment in the body of a bastion, or other work, which is to be disputed inch by inch after the defenses are dismantled. It usually…Re-tire', v. i. p. 1130To draw back or away; to keep aloof; to withdraw; to retreat; to go from company or from a public place into privacy; as, to retire from the world; to retire from notice. 2. To retreat from action or…Re-tīre', v. t. p. 1130To withdraw; to take away. [Obs. or rare.] He retired himself, his wife and children, into a forest. Sidney. As when the sun is present all the year, And never doth retire his golden ray. Davies. 2.…Re-tire′, n. p. 1130The act of retiring; retreat; recession; a withdrawing. [Obs.] Eve, . . . with audible lament, Discovered soon the place of her retire. Milton. 2. A place of privacy or safety; a retreat. [Obs.]