re|tire|ment ◆◇◇ /r I ta I ə r mənt/ (retirements )
1 N‑VAR [oft N n] Retirement is the time when a worker retires. □ …the proportion of the population who are over retirement age.
2 N‑UNCOUNT A person's retirement is the period in their life after they have retired. □ …financial support for the elderly during retirement.
re|ti re|ment home (retirement homes ) N‑COUNT A retirement home is a place where old people live and are cared for when they are too old to look after themselves.
re|tir|ing /r I ta I ə r I ŋ/
1 ADJ Someone who is retiring is shy and avoids meeting other people. □ I'm still that shy, retiring little girl who was afraid to ask for sweets in the shop.
2 → see also retire
re|told /riːtoʊ ld/ Retold is the past tense and past participle of retell .
re|took /riːtʊ k/ Retook is the past tense of retake .
re|tool /riː tuː l/ (retools , retooling , retooled ) VERB If the machines in a factory or the items of equipment used by a firm are retooled , they are replaced or changed so that they can do new tasks. □ [be V -ed] Each time the product changes, the machines have to be retooled. [Also V n, V ] ● re|tool|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ Retooling, or recasting new toy moulds, is a slow and expensive process.
re|tort /r I tɔː r t/ (retorts , retorting , retorted ) VERB To retort means to reply angrily to someone. [WRITTEN ] □ [V with quote] Was he afraid, he was asked. 'Afraid of what?' he retorted. □ [V that] Others retort that strong central power is a dangerous thing in Russia. [Also V ] ● N‑COUNT Retort is also a noun. □ His sharp retort clearly made an impact.
re|touch /riːtʌ tʃ/ (retouches , retouching , retouched ) VERB If someone retouches something such as a picture or a photograph, they improve it, for example by painting over parts of it. □ [be V -ed] He said the photographs had been retouched. □ [V n] She retouched her make-up.
re|trace /r I tre I s/ (retraces , retracing , retraced ) VERB If you retrace your steps or retrace your way, you return to the place you started from by going back along the same route. □ [V n] He retraced his steps to the spot where he'd left the case.
re|tract /r I træ kt/ (retracts , retracting , retracted )
1 VERB If you retract something that you have said or written, you say that you did not mean it. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] Mr Smith hurriedly sought to retract the statement, but it had just been broadcast on national radio. □ [V ] He's hoping that if he makes me feel guilty, I'll retract. ● re|trac|tion /r I træ kʃ ə n/ (retractions ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] □ [+ of ] Miss Pearce said she expected an unqualified retraction of his comments within twenty four hours.
2 VERB When a part of a machine or a part of a person's body retracts or is retracted , it moves inwards or becomes shorter. [FORMAL ] □ [V ] Torn muscles retract, and lose strength, structure, and tightness. [Also V n]
re|tract|able /r I træ ktəb ə l/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A retractable part of a machine or a building can be moved inwards or backwards. □ A 20,000-seat arena with a retractable roof is planned.
re|train /riː tre I n/ (retrains , retraining , retrained ) VERB If you retrain , or if someone retrains you, you learn new skills, especially in order to get a new job. □ [V ] Why not retrain for a job which will make you happier? □ [V n] Union leaders have called upon the government to help retrain workers. ● re|train|ing N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] □ [+ of ] …measures such as the retraining of the workforce at their place of work.
re|tread /riː tred/ (retreads )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you describe something such as a book, film, or song as a retread , you mean that it contains ideas or elements that have been used before, and that it is not very interesting or original. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [+ of ] His last book was a retread of tired material.
2 N‑COUNT A retread is an old tyre which has been given a new surface or tread and can be used again.
re|treat ◆◇◇ /r I triː t/ (retreats , retreating , retreated )
1 VERB If you retreat , you move away from something or someone. □ [V prep] 'I've already got a job,' I said quickly, and retreated from the room. [Also V ]
2 VERB When an army retreats , it moves away from enemy forces in order to avoid fighting them. □ [V ] The French, suddenly outnumbered, were forced to retreat. ● N‑VAR Retreat is also a noun. □ In June 1942, the British 8th Army was in full retreat.
3 VERB If you retreat from something such as a plan or a way of life, you give it up, usually in order to do something safer or less extreme. □ [V + from/into ] To save yourself, you sometimes need to retreat from the world. ● N‑VAR Retreat is also a noun. □ [+ from/into ] Downing Street insisted that there would be no retreat from the £26,000 cap on the amount of benefits that any family could claim.
4 N‑COUNT A retreat is a quiet, isolated place that you go to in order to rest or to do things in private. □ He spent yesterday hidden away in his country retreat.
5 PHRASE If you beat a retreat , you leave a place quickly in order to avoid an embarrassing or dangerous situation. □ Cockburn decided it was time to beat a hasty retreat.