retiarius

American  

[ree-shee-air-ee-uhs] / ˌri ʃiˈɛər i əs /

noun

Roman History.

retiarii plural

1. a gladiator equipped with a net for casting over his opponent.

---

retiarius British  

/ ˌriːtɪˈɛərɪəs, ˌriːʃɪ- /

noun

1. (in ancient Rome) a gladiator armed with a net and trident

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• retiarii
  plural

Etymology

Origin of retiarius

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin rēte “net” + -i-, connecting vowel + -ārius, noun suffix; see origin at rete ( def. ), -i- -ary ( def. )

Example Sentences

One speaks of a gladiator in the singular, but we learn from Mr. Sidebottom that there were at least nine different types of gladiator: the murmillo, the thraex, the retiarius, the eques and so on.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

In his hands were the weapons of a retiarius - a trident and a weighted net.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

The conquering retiarius withdrew his net, and leaning on his spear, looked to the audience for their judgment.

From Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 6 by Mabie, Hamilton Wright

Brinnaria knew perfectly well that the betting on a set-to between such a pair was customarily five to three against the secutor and on the retiarius.

From The Unwilling Vestal by White, Edward Lucas

It was the policy of the retiarius to retreat in order to gather his net together for a fresh cast.

From New York Times Current History; The European War, Vol 2, No. 5, August, 1915 by Various