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WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026re•treat /rɪˈtrit/USA pronunciation
n.
- the withdrawal of a military force before an enemy: [countable]After suffering many casualties, the troops made a retreat.[uncountable]in retreat.
- a place for quiet thinking or privacy:[countable]a beautiful country retreat.
- a withdrawal for quiet thinking, such as for meditation: [countable]The priests go on a retreat once a year.[uncountable]They cannot be reached this week; they are on retreat.
v. [no object]
- to withdraw from an enemy attack:The fleet retreated.
- to make a retreat:retreated from the room as she shouted at him.
- to draw back from an earlier position:began to retreat from his earlier strong stand on civil rights.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
retreat /rɪˈtriːt/ vb (mainly intr)- to withdraw or retire in the face of or from action with an enemy, either due to defeat or in order to adopt a more favourable position
- to retire or withdraw, as to seclusion or shelter
- (of a person's features) to slope back; recede
- (transitive) to move (a piece) back
n - the act of retreating or withdrawing
- a withdrawal or retirement in the face of the enemy
- a bugle call signifying withdrawal or retirement, esp (formerly) to within a defended fortification
- retirement or seclusion
- a place, such as a sanatorium or monastery, to which one may retire for refuge, quiet, etc
- a period of seclusion, esp for religious contemplation
- an institution, esp a private one, for the care and treatment of people who are mentally ill, infirm, elderly, etc
Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French retret, from retraire to withdraw, from Latin retrahere to pull back; see retract re-treat
(rē trēt′),USA pronunciation v.t., v.i. - to treat again.
re•treat
(ri trēt′),USA pronunciation n.
- the forced or strategic withdrawal of an army or an armed force before an enemy, or the withdrawing of a naval force from action.
- the act of withdrawing, as into safety or privacy;
retirement;
seclusion.
- a place of refuge, seclusion, or privacy:The library was his retreat.
- an asylum, as for the insane.
- a retirement or a period of retirement for religious exercises and meditation.
- Military
- a flag-lowering ceremony held at sunset on a military post.
- the bugle call or drumbeat played at this ceremony.
- the recession of a surface, as a wall or panel, from another surface beside it.
- Idioms beat a retreat, to withdraw or retreat, esp. hurriedly or in disgrace.
v.i.
- to withdraw, retire, or draw back, esp. for shelter or seclusion.
- to make a retreat:The army retreated.
- to slope backward;
recede:a retreating chin.
- to draw or lead back.
- Latin retractāre to retract2
- Middle French retraitier
- Latin retrahere (re- re- + trahere to draw; see retract1); (verb, verbal) late Middle English retreten
- Old French, variant of retrait, noun, nominal use of past participle of retraire to draw back
- (noun, nominal) Middle English retret 1300–50
2. departure, withdrawal. 3. shelter. 9. leave, pull back. See depart.
'retreat' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
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