retractor
Americannoun
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a person or thing that retracts.
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Anatomy. a muscle that retracts an organ or protruded part.
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Surgery. an instrument or appliance for drawing back an impeding part, as the edge of an incision.
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a mechanism, device, or the like that regulates retraction.
to adjust the retractor on a seat belt.
noun
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anatomy any of various muscles that retract an organ or part
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surgery an instrument for holding back the edges of a surgical incision or organ or part
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a person or thing that retracts
Etymology
Origin of retractor
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She says a concerning inaccuracy in the video is that the retractor is based on images from after the disaster rather than before.
From BBC ● Feb. 22, 2025
Clip: Okay I need a saw and a retractor.
From Scientific American ● Sep. 21, 2023
They scrape off letters and use temporary paper tags and even retractor mechanisms.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 18, 2022
It was the juxtaposition between my previous rotation, which was vascular surgery, where you’re standing for like six-hour cases, holding the retractor and you have really sick patients.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 11, 2022
“Push the green retractor butt—” He was cut off when the Berg’s engines roared to a higher pitch and the vehicle vaulted into the air.
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
