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• ret
  ret

  verb (used with object)

  to soak in water or expose to moisture, as flax or hemp, to facilitate the removal of the fiber from the woody tissue by partial rotting.
• ret.
  ret.

  abbreviation

  retain.

ret

¹ American  

[ret] / rɛt /

verb (used with object)

retted, retting

1. to soak in water or expose to moisture, as flax or hemp, to facilitate the removal of the fiber from the woody tissue by partial rotting.

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ret. ² American  

abbreviation

1. retain.

2. retired.

3. return.

4. returned.

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ret British  

/ rɛt /

verb

1. (tr) to moisten or soak (flax, hemp, jute, etc) to promote bacterial action in order to facilitate separation of the fibres from the woody tissue by beating

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Other Word Forms

• unretted
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of ret

1400–50; late Middle English reten, retten; cognate with Dutch reten (compare Dutch roten, German rössen, Swedish röta ); akin to rot

Example Sentences

The energy provider used to be able to source equipment from within Ukraine, but now it has to scour the ret of Europe for replacement parts.

From BBC • Dec. 16, 2025

Henceforth his people know him as Kuna Jo-Uk�God's last-born, the immortal ret of the Shilluks.

From Time Magazine Archive

The priests removed the image and Anei Kur was ret.

From Time Magazine Archive

I slig en Nat bagtalte just skj�n Jessica sin Elsker ret som en lille Trold, og han tilgav det.

From An Essay Toward a History of Shakespeare in Norway by Ruud, Martin Brown

Sonig say, 'Tomorrow we be friendry and we ret those two go for another wawrk in the woods.

From —And Devious the Line of Duty by Schelling, George Luther