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.

Nearby words

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

Idioms

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.

Related forms

re·treat·al, adjectivere·treat·er, nounre·treat·ive, adjective

Can be confused

re-treat retreat

Synonym study

8. See depart.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

retreat

noun

verb (used without object)

RELATED CONTENT

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of retreat

SYNONYMS FOR retreat

ANTONYMS FOR retreat

Related forms

Can be confused

Synonym study

British Dictionary definitions for beat a retreat

retreat

verb (mainly intr)

noun

Word Origin for retreat

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

beat a retreat

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

retreat