Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Rē-trĕad', v. t. & i. p. 1131To tread again.Re-trēat’, n. p. 1131The act of retiring or withdrawing one's self, especially from what is dangerous or disagreeable. In a retreat he outruns any. Shak. 2. The place to which any one retires; a place of privacy or…Re-trēat’, v. i. p. 1131To go to a retreat; to retire from any position or place; to withdraw. 2. To move back to a place before occupied; to retire. The rapid currents drive Toward the retreating sea their furious tide.…Re-trēat′ful, a. p. 1131Furnishing or serving as a retreat. [Rare.] “Our retreatful flood.” Chapman.Re-trēat'ment, n. p. 1131Retreat. [Rare.]Re-trĕnch', v. t. p. 1131To cut off; to pare away. Thy exuberant parts retrench. Denham. 2. To lessen; to abridge; to curtail; as, to retrench superfluities or expenses. But this thy glory shall be soon retrenched. Milton.…Re-trēnch', v. i. p. 1131To live at less expense; as, it is more reputable to retrench than to live embarrassed.Re-trench'ment, n. p. 1131The act of retrenching or of lopping off; the act of removing what is superfluous; as, the retrenchment of words or lines in a writing. 2. The act of curtailing, lessening, or abridging; diminution.…Re-trīb'ūte, v. t. p. 1131To pay back; to make payment, compensation, or reward in return to; as, to retribute one for his kindness; to retribute to a criminal what is proportionate to his offense. [Rare.] Locke.Re-trĭb'ū-ter, n. p. 1131One who makes retribution.Rĕt/ri-bū'tion, n. p. 1131The act of retributing or repaying; repayment. In good offices and due retributions we may not be pinching and niggardly. Hall. 2. The state of being retributed or paid back. 3. That which is given…Re-trib'ū-tive or Re-trib'ū-to-ry, a. p. 1131Tending to retribute; involving, or pertaining to, retribution; as, retributive justice.Re-triev'a-ble, a. p. 1131Capable of being retrieved or recovered.Re-triev'a-ble-ness, n. p. 1131The state of being retrievable.Re-triēv'a-bly, adv. p. 1131In a retrievable manner.Re-triev'al, n. p. 1131The act of retrieving.Re-triēve', v. t. p. 1131To find again; to recover; to regain; to restore from loss or injury; as, to retrieve one's character; to retrieve a decayed fortune. With late repentance now they would retrieve The bodies they…Re-trieve', n. p. 1131A seeking again; a discovery. B. Jonson. 2. The recovery of game once sprung;—a sporting term. Nares.Re-triev'ment, n. p. 1131Retrieval.Re-triēv'er, n. p. 1131One who retrieves. 2. A dog trained to find and bring in birds that are shot; — so called among sportsmen. Craig.Rē-trĭm′, v. t. p. 1131To trim again.Rĕt′ri-ment, n. p. 1131Refuse; dregs. [Rare.]Rē'tro p. 1131A prefix from the Latin, signifying back or backward.Rĕt/ro-ăct’, v. i. p. 1131To act backward or in return; to act in opposition.Rē'tro-ăc'tion or Rēt'ro-ăc'tion, n. p. 1131Action returned, or action backward. 2. Operation on something past or preceding.Rē'tro-ăct'ive or Rĕt'ro-ăct'ive, a. p. 1131Fitted or designed to retroact; operating by returned action; affecting what is past; retrospective. Beddoes. Retroactive law or statute, one which operates to make criminal or punishable, or in any…Rĕ'tro-ăct'ive-ly or Rĕt'ro-ăct'ive-ly, adv. p. 1131In a retroactive manner; by operating on something past.Rē'tro-cēde or Rĕt'ro-cēde, v. t. p. 1131To cede or grant back; as, to retrocede a territory to a former proprietor.Rĕ'tro-cēde or Rĕt'ro-cēde, v. i. p. 1131To go back.Rē'tro-çēd'ent or Rēt'ro-çēd'ent, a. p. 1131Disposed or likely to retrocede; — applied to diseases which move from one part of the body to another, as the gout.Rĕ'/tro-çĕs'/sion or Rĕt'/ro-çĕs'/sion, n. p. 1131The act of retroceding. 2. The state of being retroceded or granted back.Rē'tro-cōp'ū-lant, a. p. 1131Copulating backward or from behind.Rē'tro-cŏp/ū-lā'tion, n. p. 1131The act of copulating from behind; coition backward, as in the case of most animals. Browne.Rē'/tro-dūc'tion, n. p. 1131A leading or bringing back.Rē'tro-flĕx or Rĕ'tro-flĕx or Rē'tro-flĕxed or Rĕ'tro-flĕxed, a. p. 1131(Bot.) Suddenly bent backward. Lindley.Rē'tro-frāct or Rĕt'ro-frāct or Rē'tro-frāct'ed or Rĕt'ro-frāct'ed, a. p. 1131(Bot.) Bent backward, as it were by force, so as to appear as if broken; refracted; as, a retrofract peduncle.Ré'tro-gén'er-a-tive or Rĕt'ro-gĕn'er-a-tive, a. p. 1131Begetting young by retrocopulation, as most animals.Rĕ'tro-gra-dā'tion or Rĕt'ro-gra-dā'tion, n. p. 1131The act of retrograding or moving backward. 2. (Astron.) The apparent motion of the planets contrary to the order of the signs, that is, from east to west. Hutton. 3. The state of being retrograded…Rē'tro-grāde or Rēt'ro-grāde, a. p. 1131Tending or serving to move in a backward or contrary direction; contrary. It is most retrograde to our desire. Shak. 2. Going or moving backward; declining from a better to a worse state. Bacon. 3.…Rē'tro-grāde or Rēt'ro-grāde, v. i. p. 1131To go or move backward.Rē'tro-grād'ing-ly or Rēt'ro-grād'ing-ly, adv. p. 1131By retrograding; so as to retrograde.Rē'tro-grēs'sion or Rēt'ro-grēs'sion, n. p. 1131The act of going backward; retrogradation.Rē'tro-grĕs'sive or Rĕt'ro-grĕs'sive, a. p. 1131Going or moving backward; declining from a more perfect to a less perfect state. Geography is at times retrogressive. Pinkerton.Rē'tro-grēs'sive-ly or Rēt'ro-grēs'sive-ly, adv. p. 1131In a retrogressive manner.Rē'tro-mīn'gen-cy or Rēt'ro-mīn'gen-cy, n. p. 1131The act or quality of being retromingent. Browne.Rē'tro-mĭn'gent or Rēt'ro-mĭn'gent, a. p. 1131Organized so as to discharge the urine backward.Rē'tro-min'gent or Rēt'ro-min'gent, n. p. 1131(Zool.) An animal that discharges its urine backward. ☞ The retromingents are a division of animals whose characteristic is, that they discharge their urine backward, both male and female.Rē'tro-pūl'sive or Rēt'ro-pūl'sive, a. p. 1131Driving back; repelling.Re-trôrse', a. p. 1131Bent in a backward direction.Re-trôrse'ly, adv. p. 1131In a retrorse manner; with a backward direction; as, a stem retrorsely aculeate.Rĕt'ro-spēct or Rēt'ro-spēct, v. i. p. 1131To look back; to affect what is past.Rĕt'ro-spĕct or Rēt'ro-spĕct, n. p. 1131A looking back on things past; view or contemplation of something past. We may introduce a song without retrospect to the old comedy. Landor. Syn.—Review; survey; resurvey; re-examination.Rē'tro-spēc'tion or Rēt'ro-spēc'tion, n. p. 1131The act of looking back on things past. 2. The faculty of looking back on past things.Rē'tro-spēct'ive or Rĕt'ro-spēct'ive, a. p. 1131Tending or fitted to look back; looking back; as, retrospective view. “The sage, with retrospective eye.” Pope. 2. Having reference to what is past; affecting things past. “A scruple about inflicting…Rē'tro-spĕct'ive-ly or Rēt'ro-spĕct'ive-ly, adv. p. 1131In a retrospective manner; by way of retrospect.Rē'tro-vēr'sion or Rēt'ro-vēr'sion, n. p. 1131A turning or falling backward; as, the retroversion of the uterus.Rĕ'tro-vĕrt or Rĕt'ro-vĕrt, v. t. p. 1131To turn back.Re-trūde', v. t. p. 1131To thrust back. [Rare.] More.Re-tru'se', a. p. 1131Hidden; abstruse. [Obs.] Something of so retruse a nature that I want a name for it, unless I should venture to term it “divine sagacity.” H. More.Re-tru'sion, n. p. 1131The act of being retruded. “In virtue of an endless re-motion or retrusion of the constituent cause.” Coleridge.