retreat
Definitions
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After the German Retreat -
WordNet 3.6
- v retreat make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity "We'll have to crawfish out from meeting with him","He backed out of his earlier promise","The aggressive investment company pulled in its horns"
- v retreat pull back or move away or backward "The enemy withdrew","The limo pulled away from the curb"
- v retreat move back "The glacier retrogrades"
- v retreat move away, as for privacy "The Pope retreats to Castelgondolfo every summer"
- n retreat the act of withdrawing or going backward (especially to escape something hazardous or unpleasant)
- n retreat withdrawal for prayer and study and meditation "the religious retreat is a form of vacation activity"
- n retreat (military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat "the disorderly retreat of French troops"
- n retreat an area where you can be alone
- n retreat (military) a bugle call signaling the lowering of the flag at sunset
- n retreat (military) a signal to begin a withdrawal from a dangerous position
- n retreat a place of privacy; a place affording peace and quiet
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Additional illustrations & photos:
Si Beat a Retreat 171
The Exile's Retreat
THE RETREAT OF THE BRITISH FROM THE CONCORD
WASHINGTON'S RETREAT THROUGH NEW JERSEY
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
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Interesting fact: Dunkirk, France is the site of the largest military evacuation in history. During World War II, some 340,000 Allied troops were evacuated to England. The retreat by sea took place between May 26 and June 4, 1940.
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- Retreat (Eccl) A period of several days of withdrawal from society to a religious house for exclusive occupation in the duties of devotion; as, to appoint or observe a retreat .
- Retreat (Mil. & Naval) A signal given in the army or navy, by the beat of a drum or the sounding of trumpet or bugle, at sunset (when the roll is called), or for retiring from action.
- Retreat (Eccl) A special season of solitude and silence to engage in religious exercises.
- Retreat The act of retiring or withdrawing one's self, especially from what is dangerous or disagreeable. "In a retreat he outruns any lackey."
- Retreat The place to which anyone retires; a place or privacy or safety; a refuge; an asylum. "He built his son a house of pleasure, and spared no cost to make a delicious retreat .""That pleasing shade they sought, a soft retreat From sudden April showers, a shelter from the heat."
- Retreat (Mil. & Naval) The retiring of an army or body of men from the face of an enemy, or from any ground occupied to a greater distance from the enemy, or from an advanced position.
- Retreat (Mil. & Naval) The withdrawing of a ship or fleet from an enemy for the purpose of avoiding an engagement or escaping after defeat.
- v. i Retreat To make a retreat; to retire from any position or place; to withdraw; as, the defeated army retreated from the field. "The rapid currents drive
Towards the retreating sea their furious tide." - ***
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
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Interesting fact: Rin Tin Tin was born to a war-dog mother in a German trench in France during World War I. Deserted when the Germans retreated, the German shepherd puppy was found by an American officer who happened to be a police-dog trainer from California. During Rin Tin Tin's training after the war, the dog's intelligence came to the attention of Warner Brothers, which signed the dog up for what turned out to be a long career as one of the biggest box-office draws of the silent screen era.
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- n retreat The act of retiring or withdrawing; withdrawal; departure.
- n retreat Specifically, the retirement, either forced or strategical, of an army before an enemy; an orderly withdrawal from action or position: distinguished from a flight, which lacks system or plan.
- n retreat The withdrawing of a ship or fleet from action; also, the order or disposition of ships declining an engagement.
- n retreat A signal given in the army or navy, by beat of drum or sound of trumpet, at sunset, or for retiring from exercise, parade, or action.
- n retreat Retirement; privacy; a state of seclusion from society or public life.
- n retreat Place of retirement or privacy; a refuge; an asylum; a place of security or peace.
- n retreat A period of retirement for religious self-examination, meditation, and special prayer. Synonyms Seclusion, solitude, privacy.
- retreat To retire; move backward; go back.
- retreat Specifically, to retire from military action or from an enemy; give way; fall back, as from a dangerous position.
- retreat In fencing, to move backward in order to avoid the point of the adversary's sword: specifically expressing a quick movement of the left foot a few inches to the rear, followed by the right foot, the whole being so executed that the fencer keeps his equilibrium and is ready to lunge and parry at will.
- retreat To recede: withdraw from an asserted claim or pretension, or from a course of action previously undertaken.
- retreat To withdraw to a retreat; go into retirement; retire for shelter, rest, or quiet.
- retreat To slope backward; have a receding outline or direction: as, a retreating forehead or chin. Synonyms To give way, fall back. All verbs of motion compounded with re- tend to express the idea of failure or defeat; but retreat is the only one that necessarily or emphatically expresses it.
- retreat To retract; retrace.
- retreat To reconsider; examine anew.
- retreat In chess, to move (a piece) backward.
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Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary
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Interesting fact: The Beatles song "Dear Prudence" was written about Mia Farrow's sister, Prudence, when she wouldn't come out and play with Mia and the Beatles at a religious retreat in India.
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- n Retreat rē-trēt′ a drawing back or retracing one's steps: retirement: place of privacy: withdrawal: a place of security: a shelter:
- v.i Retreat to draw back: to recede: to consider: to retire, esp. to a place of shelter: to retire before an enemy or from an advanced position: in fencing, to move back so as to avoid the point of the adversary's sword: to slope back, as a retreating forehead
- n Retreat rē-trēt′ (mil.) the act of retiring in order from before the enemy, or from an advanced position: the signal for retiring from an engagement or to quarters: a special season of religious meditation
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Quotations
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“A mistress should be like a little country retreat near the town, not to dwell in constantly, but only for a night and away.” -
“Part of the happiness of life consists not in fighting battles, but in avoiding them. A masterly retreat is in itself a victory.” -
“My center is giving way, my right is in retreat; situation excellent. I shall attack.”
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“Every moment of one's existence one is growing into more or retreating into less. One is always living a little more or dying a little bit.” -
“We are not retreating - we are advancing in another direction.” -
“Who is sure of their own motives can in confidence advance or retreat.”
Etymology
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
F. retraite, fr. retraire, to withdraw, L. retrahere,; pref. re-, re- + trahere, to draw. See Trace, and cf. Retract Retrace
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary
O. Fr. retrete—L. retractus, pa.p. of retrahĕre.
Usage
In literature:
We retreated, therefore, baffled and disheartened.
"The Battle of New Orleans" by Zachary F. Smith
Other circumstances operating against him, Oglethorpe commenced his retreat from Florida and reached Frederica July 10, 1740.
"An Historical Account of the Settlements of Scotch Highlanders in America" by J. P. MacLean
Finally St. Clair ordered a retreat.
"Washington and the American Republic, Vol. 3." by Benson J. Lossing
Surrounded with ice, and no opening for advance or retreat, so as to be obliged to remain immovable.
"The Sailor's Word-Book" by William Henry Smyth
The rest found themselves obliged to make a hasty retreat to the east bank.
"New York Times Current History; The European War, Vol 2, No. 4, July, 1915" by Various
How to retreat from such a position was the supreme question.
"The Two Great Retreats of History" by George Grote
At retreat the flag is lowered at the last note of retreat.
"Manual of Military Training" by James A. Moss
A retreat with this force into the vast interior would have left Napoleon as a general just where he was before.
"The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte" by William Milligan Sloane
Whither could they retreat?
"The Plant Hunters" by Mayne Reid
There was but one way in which he could have retreated, and that was backward down the slope.
"Bruin" by Mayne Reid
It now became a question of advance or retreat.
"The Wild Huntress" by Mayne Reid
It was in conducting this retreat, as a joint general with the Spartan Cheirisophos, that Xenophon showed all his resource.
"Great Men and Famous Women. Vol. 5 of 8" by Various
After two days of wearisome marching, on the retreat, they reached the fort at the Great Meadows.
"From Farm House to the White House" by William M. Thayer
The retreat was thus conducted safely, but slowly.
"Ferdinand De Soto, The Discoverer of the Mississippi" by John S. C. Abbott
She retreated until the fountain was between us.
"Astounding Stories of Super-Science September 1930" by Various
The retreat was effected; but it was only a provisional retreat.
"The Story of the Great War, Volume II (of VIII)" by Various
In the beginning of the retreat the Russians forced these poor people to join in the retreat.
"The Story of the Great War, Volume IV (of 8)"
Hildebad's retreat was greatly endangered, and the Goths were obliged to retreat speedily into the city.
"A Struggle for Rome, Vol. 2 (of 3)" by Felix Dahn
It was driven to retreat in the darkness, but remained ready, when time should serve, to reappear.
"Waterloo" by Hilaire Belloc
The dark shadows retreated step by step at his approach.
"A Struggle for Rome, v. 3" by Felix Dahn
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In poetry:
Though on the field that Death has won,
She save some stragglers in retreat;--
These single acts of mercy done
Are but confessions of defeat.
She save some stragglers in retreat;--
These single acts of mercy done
Are but confessions of defeat.
"For The Meeting Of The National Sanitary Association" by Oliver Wendell Holmes
A waver through the English hosts, and then,
Like some retreating sea,
They fled, and, fleeing, left their heaps of slain,
And Scotland once more free.
Like some retreating sea,
They fled, and, fleeing, left their heaps of slain,
And Scotland once more free.
"Bannockburn" by Alexander Anderson
A while he stood upon his feet;
He felt the motion—took his seat;
Still better pleased as more and more
The tide retreated from the shore,
And sucked, and sucked him in.
He felt the motion—took his seat;
Still better pleased as more and more
The tide retreated from the shore,
And sucked, and sucked him in.
"Memorials Of A Tour In Scotland, 1803" by William Wordsworth
FAREWEL gay Summer! now the changing wind
That Autumn brings commands thee to retreat;
It fades the roses which thy temples bind,
And the green sandals which adorn thy feet.
That Autumn brings commands thee to retreat;
It fades the roses which thy temples bind,
And the green sandals which adorn thy feet.
"Sonnet On The Approach Of Autumn" by Amelia Opie
Farewell gay Summer! now the changing wind
That Autumn brings commands thee to retreat;
It fades the roses which thy temples bind,
And the green sandals which adorn thy feet.
That Autumn brings commands thee to retreat;
It fades the roses which thy temples bind,
And the green sandals which adorn thy feet.
"On the Approach of Autumn" by Amelia Opie
Then an old man in a tower,
Ringing loud the noontide hour,
While the rope coils round and round
Like a serpent at his feet,
And again, in swift retreat,
Nearly lifts him from the ground.
Ringing loud the noontide hour,
While the rope coils round and round
Like a serpent at his feet,
And again, in swift retreat,
Nearly lifts him from the ground.
"The Ropewalk. (Birds Of Passage. Flight The First)" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
In news:
In cities and suburbs from New York to Los Angeles, wealthy homeowners no longer are the only ones retreating behind gates .
The region, known for its red tiles and retreats, isn't just for the elite anymore.
As the glacier ice retreated, it left behind some giant ice babies.
This being Holy Week I got to thinking about being on retreat at Assumption Abbey just before Easter in 2005.
Alberta's priciest home: Canmore mountain retreat features totem poles, wine grotto .
Martin Geissler of Independent Television News reports from eastern Libya on the retreat of government forces from several cities there.
A Retreat Outside of Hanoi .
Barbara Lent completely refurbished the Red Hen House, a retreat center drawing people from all over the United States to Brooten.
Carrollton died Wednesday afternoon, Jan 19, 2011, in Golden Age Retreat at Carrollton.
Prescott House considered as veterans retreat center.
If those last three aren't part of the typical soundscape at your weekend retreat, your family hasn't discovered the fun of horseshoe pitching.
But those who have been invited to the NCAA presidential retreat and the man who is hosting it insist that won't be the case.
Seaside towns retreating from erosion.
Military Not Retreating on Clean Energy.
Meeting the Beatles, retreating to the Rockies.
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In science:
Either one retreats to the viewpoint of rewriting, thinking of Table 1 as a twolevel rewrite system.
Symbolic Analysis for Boundary Problems: From Rewriting to Parametrized Gr\"obner Bases
We see that the optically thick disk does retreat during the decline, but more slowly than predicted by the advective models, posing problems for this description of the accretion flow.
Relativistic smearing of the reflection spectrum in Galactic Black Hole Candidates
Thus, the observed transition from high (soft) to low (hard) state does seem to involve a retreat of the optically thick material, as proposed by .
Relativistic smearing of the reflection spectrum in Galactic Black Hole Candidates
In a series of meetings, starting in Groningen, the Netherlands (August 2002) and culminating in a ‘science retreat’ in Leiden (November 2003), the SKA International Science Advisory Committee (ISAC), conceived of, and carried-out, a complete revision of the SKA science case.
Science with the Square Kilometer Array: Motivation, Key Science Projects, Standards and Assumptions
Proposals were solicited from the community, and debated within the ISAC at the Geraldton SKA (August 2003) and at the Leiden science retreat (November 2003). A consensus was reached by the ISAC to put-forward five KSPs for the SKA to the International SKA Steering Committee (ISSC).
Science with the Square Kilometer Array: Motivation, Key Science Projects, Standards and Assumptions
The TeV emission is expected to be variable as the pulsar wind approaches, and then retreats, from periastron.
The Status of VHE Gamma-Ray Astronomy
For example, in cases where test statistics have light-tailed distributions, the difficulties caused by dependence tend to retreat as the number of simultaneous tests increases.
Robustness of multiple testing procedures against dependence
As the probability for the existence of a certain cell composition is zero, one has to retreat to regular versions of conditioned probabilities which are rigorously defined in e.g. .
A Proof of a Conjecture by Mecke for STIT tessellations
The point of intersection might retreat along the t axis and intersect wk again.
A shooting approach to layers and chaos for a forced Duffing equation
The speci fic theories they were designed to test have been killed or at least forced to retreat to the point where meaningful tests in the kaon system would be very difficult.
Rare K decay: results and prospects
The final decay is subsequently controlled by the gradual retreat of the irradiated portion of the disc.
The origin of the rebrightening in soft X-ray transient outbursts
Pariseau, “Research Study on Pillar Design for Vertical Retreat Mining,” Bureau of Mines Report J0215043, October 1985).
Reference Design Project Book: NUSEL-Homestake
For larger uc the two curves become almost indistinguishable and the pole, here at φ ≈ 4 × 10−54 , retreats to exponentially smaller values of φ.
The long-range interaction in massless (lambda Phi^4)_4 theory
CO might in this case retreat to the inner-most cloud cores resulting in weak ICO and underestimates of ΣH2 .
Why Are Ring Galaxies Interesting?
In the devices presented by Wang at al.27 charge motion goes in the opposite direction: the cathions advance together with the front, while holes retreat leaving the material.
A model for the dynamics and internal structure of planar doping fronts in organic semiconductors
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