retreat

[ ri-treet ]

/ rɪˈtrit /

noun

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.

verb (used without object)

to withdraw, retire, or draw back, especially for shelter or seclusion.

to make a retreat: The army retreated.

to slope backward; recede: a retreating chin.

to draw or lead back.

Idioms for retreat

beat a retreat, to withdraw or retreat, especially hurriedly or in disgrace.

Origin of retreat

1300–50; (noun) Middle English retret < Old French, variant of retrait, noun use of past participle of retraire to draw back < Latin retrahere ( re- re- + trahere to draw; see retract¹); (v.) late Middle English retreten < Middle French retraitier < Latin retractāre to retract²

SYNONYMS FOR retreat

2 departure, withdrawal.

3 shelter.

8 leave, pull back.

ANTONYMS FOR retreat

1, 8, 9 advance.

synonym study for retreat

8. See depart.

OTHER WORDS FROM retreat

re·treat·al, adjective re·treat·er, noun re·treat·ive, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH retreat

re-treat retreat

Words nearby retreat

retractor, retrain, retrainee, retral, retread, retreat, retreat from reality, retreatant, retreatism, retrench, retrenchment

British Dictionary definitions for beat a retreat

retreat

/ (rɪˈtriːt) /

verb (mainly intr)

military 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

(tr) chess to move (a piece) back

noun

the act of retreating or withdrawing

military

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

Word Origin for retreat

C14: from Old French retret, from retraire to withdraw, from Latin retrahere to pull back; see retract

Idioms and Phrases with beat a retreat (1 of 2)

beat a retreat

Also, beat a hasty retreat. Reverse course or withdraw, usually quickly. For example, I really don't want to run into Jeff—let's beat a retreat. This term originally (1300s) referred to the military practice of sounding drums to call back troops. Today it is used only figuratively, as in the example above.

Idioms and Phrases with beat a retreat (2 of 2)

retreat

see beat a retreat.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

retreat

noun

verb (used without object)

Idioms for retreat

Origin of retreat

SYNONYMS FOR retreat

ANTONYMS FOR retreat

synonym study for retreat

OTHER WORDS FROM retreat

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH retreat

Words nearby retreat

British Dictionary definitions for beat a retreat

verb (mainly intr)

noun

Word Origin for retreat

Idioms and Phrases with beat a retreat (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with beat a retreat (2 of 2)

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

retreat

noun

verb (used without object)

Idioms for retreat

Origin of retreat

SYNONYMS FOR retreat

ANTONYMS FOR retreat

synonym study for retreat

OTHER WORDS FROM retreat

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH retreat

Words nearby retreat

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verb (mainly intr)

noun

Word Origin for retreat

Idioms and Phrases with beat a retreat (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with beat a retreat (2 of 2)

British Dictionary definitions for beat a retreat