retractile

[ ri-trak-til ]
See synonyms for retractile on Thesaurus.com
adjectiveZoology.
  1. capable of being drawn back or in, as the head of a tortoise; exhibiting the power of retraction.

Origin of retractile

1
First recorded in 1770–80; retract1 + -ile

Other words from retractile

  • re·trac·til·i·ty [ree-trak-til-i-tee], /ˌri trækˈtɪl ɪ ti/, noun
  • non·re·trac·tile, adjective
  • non·re·trac·til·i·ty, noun
  • sub·re·trac·tile, adjective

Words Nearby retractile

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use retractile in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for retractile

retractile

/ (rɪˈtræktaɪl) /


adjective
  1. capable of being drawn in: the retractile claws of a cat

Derived forms of retractile

  • retractility (ˌriːtrækˈtɪlɪtɪ), noun

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