retreat

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English retret, from Old French retrait or retret, from Latin retractus, from retraho. Doublet of retract, retrait, and ritratto.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈtɹiːt/, /ɹəˈtɹiːt/, /ɹiˈtɹiːt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːt

Noun

retreat (plural retreats)

1. The act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous, or unpleasant.
   • c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:

     In a retreat he outruns any lackey.

2. The act of reversing direction and receding from a forward position.
3. A peaceful, quiet place affording privacy or security.
   • 1764, Horace Walpole, The Castle of Otranto:

     " […] But come, Lady, we are too near the mouth of the cavern; let us seek its inmost recesses. […] " "Though all your actions are noble, […] is it fitting that I should accompany you alone into these perplexed retreats? Should we be found together, what would a censorious world think of my conduct?"

   • 1891, Thomas Hardy, chapter IV, in Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented […], volume I, London: James R[ipley] Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., […], →OCLC, phase the first (The Maiden), pages 40–41:

     In a large bedroom upstairs, the window of which was thickly curtained with a great woollen shawl lately discarded by the landlady, Mrs. Rolliver, were gathered on this evening nearly a dozen persons, all seeking vinous bliss; all old inhabitants of the nearer end of Marlott, and frequenters of this retreat.

   • 1692, Roger L'Estrange, “Fable 100: An Old Man and a Lion”, in Fables of Aesop, page 115:

     ... he built his son a house of pleasure, on purpose to keep him out of harm's way; and spared neither art nor cost to make it a delicious retreat.

   • 1700, [John] Dryden, “The Flower and the Leaf: Or, The Lady in the Arbour. A Vision.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

     That pleasing shade they sought, a soft retreat / From sudden April showers, a shelter from the heat.

4. (rare and obsolete, euphemistic) A peaceful, quiet place in which to urinate and defecate: an outhouse; a lavatory.
5. A period of retirement, seclusion, or solitude.

   We both need a week retreat after those two stressful years working in the city.

6. A period of meditation, prayer or study.
7. Withdrawal by military force from a dangerous position or from enemy attack.

   The general opted for a swift retreat because he saw his troops were vastly outnumbered.

8. A signal for a military withdrawal.
9. A bugle call or drumbeat signaling the lowering of the flag at sunset, as on a military base.
   • 1898, Kate Douglas Wiggin, chapter 8, in Penelope’s Progress […], Boston, Mass., New York, N.Y.: Houghton, Mifflin and Company […], →OCLC:

     to-morrow the Royal Standard will be hoisted at Edinburgh Castle from reveille to retreat.

10. A military ceremony to lower the flag.
11. (chess) The move of a piece from a threatened position.

Derived terms

• beat a retreat, beat a hasty retreat
• managed retreat
• Rural Retreat

Related terms

• retract

Translations

act of pulling back or withdrawing

• Arabic: تَرَاجُع m (tarājuʕ), اِنْسِحَاب m (insiḥāb)
• Armenian: նահանջ (hy) (nahanǰ)
• Azerbaijani: geriyə çəkilmə, geriçəkilmə
• Belarusian: адступле́нне n (adstupljénnje), адступле́ньне n (adstupljénʹnje), вы́вад (be) m (vývad) (withdrawal)
• Bulgarian: отстъпле́ние (bg) n (otstǎplénie)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 後退／后退 (zh) (hòutuì), 退卻／退却 (zh) (tuìquè), 撤退 (zh) (chètuì)

• Czech: ústup (cs) m
• Dutch: terugtocht (nl) m, aftocht (nl) m, terugtrekking (nl) f
• Finnish: perääntyminen
• French: retraite (fr) f
• German: Rückzug (de) m
• Greek: υποχώρηση (el) f (ypochórisi)
• Indonesian: mundur (id)
• Italian: ritirata (it) f, arretramento (it) m, ripiegamento (it) m
• Japanese: 後退 (ja) (こうたい, kōtai), 退却 (ja) (たいきゃく, taikyaku), 撤退 (ja) (てったい, tettai)
• Korean: 후퇴(後退) (ko) (hutoe), 퇴각(退却) (ko) (toegak), 철수(撤收) (ko) (cheolsu)
• Latin: recessus m
• Macedonian: повлекување n (povlekuvanje)
• Maori: taui, tauitanga
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: retrett m, tilbaketrekking m or f, tilbaketrekning m or f

  Nynorsk: retrett m, tilbaketrekking f

• Persian: عقب‌نشینی (fa) ('aqab-nešini)
• Polish: odwrót (pl) m, wycofanie (pl) n (withdrawal)
• Portuguese: retirada (pt) f
• Romanian: retragere (ro) f
• Russian: отступле́ние (ru) n (otstuplénije), вы́вод (ru) m (vývod) (withdrawal)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: повла́че̄ње n

  Roman: povláčēnje (sh) n

• Slovak: ústup m
• Slovene: umik m
• Spanish: retirada (es) f
• Tajik: ақибнишинӣ (aqibnišinī)
• Turkish: geri çekilme
• Ukrainian: ві́дступ m (vídstup), ви́ведення n (vývedennja) (withdrawal)

quiet place affording privacy

• Belarusian: прыту́лак m (prytúlak)
• Bulgarian: убе́жище (bg) n (ubéžište)
• Czech: útočiště (cs) n
• Finnish: turvapaikka (fi), piilopaikka (fi)
• French: retraite (fr) f
• Italian: ritiro (it) m, eremo (it) m
• Latin: latebra f
• Macedonian: прибе́жиште n (pribéžište)
• Maori: piringa, kuhunga
• Ottoman Turkish: زاویه (zâviye), قارش (karış)
• Portuguese: retiro (pt) m
• Russian: убе́жище (ru) n (ubéžišče)
• Scottish Gaelic: cuilidh f
• Spanish: retiro (es) m
• Ukrainian: приту́лок (uk) m (prytúlok)

to turn back, retreat — see return

outhouse — see outhouse

lavatory — see toilet

period of meditation, prayer, or study

• Bulgarian: уедине́ние (bg) n (uedinénie)
• Dutch: retraite (nl) c
• Estonian: retriit
• Finnish: vetäytyminen (fi)
• French: retraite (fr) f
• Indonesian: retret (id), khalwat (id)
• Italian: ritiro (it) m
• Latvian: rekolekcija (lv) f
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: retrett m

  Nynorsk: retrett m

• Polish: rekolekcje (pl) f pl
• Portuguese: retiro (pt) m
• Russian: уедине́ние (ru) n (ujedinénije)
• Spanish: retiro (es)

Verb

retreat (third-person singular simple present retreats, present participle retreating, simple past and past participle retreated) (intransitive)

1. To withdraw from a position, go back.
   1. To withdraw military forces

      The general refused to order his soldiers to retreat, despite being vastly outnumbered.

2. To shrink back due to generally warmer temperatures. (of a glacier)
3. To slope back.
   • 1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 111:

     His face was a fair weakness, his chin retreated, and his hair lay in crisp, almost flaxen curls on his low forehead; his eyes were rather large, pale blue, and blankly staring.

   a retreating forehead

Antonyms

• advance

Derived terms

• duty to retreat

Translations

retreat — see withdraw

to withdraw military forces

• Albanian: please add this translation if you can
• Arabic: تَرَاجَعَ (tarājaʕa)
• Armenian: նահանջել (hy) (nahanǰel)
• Azerbaijani: geri çəkilmək
• Belarusian: адступа́ць impf (adstupácʹ), адступі́ць pf (adstupícʹ)
• Bulgarian: отстъ́пвам (bg) impf (otstǎ́pvam), отстъ́пя pf (otstǎ́pja)
• Catalan: retrocedir (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 後退／后退 (zh) (hòutuì), 退卻／退却 (zh) (tuìquè)

• Czech: ustoupit pf, stáhnout se (cs) pf
• Dutch: zich terugtrekken (nl)
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Estonian: taanduma (et)
• Finnish: perääntyä (fi), vetäytyä (fi)
• French: se retirer (fr), se replier (fr), battre en retraite (fr)
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: sich zurückziehen (de), abziehen (de)
• Greek: αποτραβιέμαι (el) (apotraviémai)

  Ancient: ἀναχωρέω (anakhōréō)

• Hungarian: please add this translation if you can
• Icelandic: hörfa
• Irish: cúlaigh
• Italian: ritirarsi (it), ripiegare (it), battere in ritirata, indietreggiare (it), retrocedere (it), arretrare (it)
• Japanese: 退却する (ja) (たいきゃくする, taikyaku suru), 後退する (ja) (こうたいする, kōtai suru)
• Korean: 후퇴하다 (ko) (hutoehada)
• Latin: regredior, pedem referre
• Latvian: please add this translation if you can
• Lithuanian: please add this translation if you can
• Macedonian: се повлекува impf (se povlekuva), се повлече pf (se povleče)
• Maori: whakatahi, taui, paunu
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: retrettere

• Persian: عقب‌نشینی کردن ('aqab-nešini kardan)
• Polish: zarządzać odwrót impf, odstępować (pl) impf, odstąpić (pl) pf, wycofywać się (pl) impf, wycofać się (pl) pf
• Portuguese: retirar (pt), retirar-se
• Romanian: retrage (ro)
• Russian: отступа́ть (ru) impf (otstupátʹ), отступи́ть (ru) pf (otstupítʹ), ретирова́ться (ru) impf or pf (retirovátʹsja)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: по̀вӯћи се pf

  Roman: pòvūći se pf

• Slovak: ustúpiť pf, stiahnuť sa pf
• Slovene: umikati se impf, umakniti se pf
• Spanish: retirarse (es)
• Swedish: retirera (sv)
• Tajik: ақибнишинӣ кардан (aqibnišinī kardan)
• Turkish: please add this translation if you can
• Ukrainian: відступа́ти impf (vidstupáty), відступи́ти pf (vidstupýty)

Etymology 2

re- +‎ treat

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɹiːˈtɹiːt/
• Rhymes: -iːt

Verb

retreat (third-person singular simple present retreats, present participle retreating, simple past and past participle retreated)

1. Alternative spelling of re-treat

Further reading

• Retreat in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Anagrams

• treater, tree rat

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Borrowed from English retreat. Doublet of retrett.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rɪˈtriːt/

Noun

retreat m (definite singular retreaten, indefinite plural retreater, definite plural retreatene)

1. a period of meditation, prayer or study; retreat
2. a location for such activities

Usage notes

• Prior to the 2005 spelling reform, this noun was considered grammatically neuter.

References

• “retreat” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “retreat” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Borrowed from English retreat. Doublet of retrett.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rɪˈtriːt/

Noun

retreat m (definite singular retreaten, indefinite plural retreatar, definite plural retreatane)

1. a period of meditation, prayer or study; retreat
2. a location for such activities

Usage notes

• Prior to a revision made alongside the 2005 Bokmål spelling reform, this noun was considered grammatically neuter.

References

• “retreat” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.