Retriment Ret"ri·ment noun [ Latin
retrimentum .]
Refuse; dregs. [ R.]
Retro- Retro- [ Latin retro , adverb , backward, back. Confer Re -.] A prefix or combining form signifying backward , back ; as, retro act, to act backward; retro spect, a looking back.
Retroact Re`tro·act" intransitive verb [ Prefix
retro- + act .]
To act backward, or in return; to act in opposition; to be retrospective.
Retroaction Re`tro·ac"tion noun [ Confer French
rétroaction .]
1. Action returned, or action backward. 2. Operation on something past or preceding.
Retroactive Re`tro·act"ive adjective [ Confer French
rétroactif .]
Fitted or designed to retroact; operating by returned action; affecting what is past; retrospective. Beddoes. Retroactive law or
statute (Law) ,
one which operates to make criminal or punishable, or in any way expressly to affect, acts done prior to the passing of the law.
Retroactively Re`tro·act"ive·ly adverb In a retroactive manner.
Retrocede Re"tro·cede transitive verb [ Prefix
retro- +
cede : confer French
rétrocéder .]
To cede or grant back; as, to retrocede a territory to a former proprietor.
Retrocede Re"tro·cede intransitive verb [ Latin
retrocedere ;
retro backward, back +
cedere to go. See
Cede .]
To go back.
Retrocedent Re`tro·ced"ent adjective [ Latin
retrocedens , present participle]
Disposed or likely to retrocede; -- said of diseases which go from one part of the body to another, as the gout.
Retrocession Re`tro·ces"sion noun [ Confer French
rétrocession . See
Retrocede .]
1. The act of retroceding. 2. The state of being retroceded, or granted back. 3. (Medicine) Metastasis of an eruption or a tumor from the surface to the interior of the body.
Retrochoir Re"tro·choir noun [ Prefix
retro- +
choir .]
(Eccl. Arch.) Any extension of a church behind the high altar, as a chapel; also, in an apsidal church, all the space beyond the line of the back or eastern face of the altar.
Retrocopulant Re`tro·cop"u·lant adjective [ See
Retrocopulation .]
Copulating backward, or from behind.
Retrocopulation Re`tro·cop`u·la"tion noun [ Prefix
retro- +
copulation .]
Copulation from behind. Sir T. Browne.
Retroduction Re`tro·duc"tion noun [ Latin
retroducere ,
retroductum , to lead or bring back;
retro backward +
ducere to lead.]
A leading or bringing back.
Retroflex, Retroflexed Re"tro·flex, Re"tro·flexed adjective [ Prefix
retro- + Latin
flectere ,
flexum , to bend, to turn.]
Reflexed; bent or turned abruptly backward.
Retroflexion Re`tro·flex"ion noun The act of reflexing; the state of being retroflexed. Confer Retroversion .
Retrofract, Retrofracted Re"tro·fract, Re"tro·fract`ed adjective [ Prefix
retro- + Latin
fractus , past participle of
frangere to break.]
(Botany) Refracted; as, a retrofract stem.
Retrogenerative Re`tro·gen"er·a·tive adjective [ Prefix
retro- + generative .]
Begetting young by retrocopulation.
Retrogradation Re`tro·gra·da"tion noun [ French
rétrogradation or Latin
retrogradatio . See
Retrograde .]
1. The act of retrograding, or moving backward. 2. The state of being retrograde; decline.
Retrograde Re"tro·grade adjective [ Latin
retrogradus , from
retrogradi ,
retrogressus , to retrograde;
retro back +
gradi to step: confer French
rétrograde . See
Grade .]
1. (Astron.) Apparently moving backward, and contrary to the succession of the signs, that is, from east to west, as a planet. Hutton. And if he be in the west side in that condition, then is he retrograde .
Chaucer. 2. Tending or moving backward; having a backward course; contrary; as, a retrograde motion; -- opposed to progressive . "Progressive and not
retrograde ."
Bacon. It is most retrograde to our desire.
Shak. 3. Declining from a better to a worse state; as, a retrograde people; retrograde ideas, morals, etc. Bacon.
Retrograde Re"tro·grade intransitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Retrograded ;
present participle & verbal noun Retrograding .] [ Latin
retrogradare ,
retrogradi : confer French
rétrograder .]
1. To go in a retrograde direction; to move, or appear to move, backward, as a planet. 2. Hence, to decline from a better to a worse condition, as in morals or intelligence.
Retrogradingly Re"tro·gra`ding·ly adverb By retrograding; so as to retrograde.
Retrogress Re"tro·gress noun [ Confer Latin
retrogressus .]
Retrogression. [ R.]
H. Spenser.
Retrogression Re`tro·gres"sion noun [ Confer French
rétrogression . See
Retrograde , and confer
Digression .]
1. The act of retrograding, or going backward; retrogradation. 2. (Biol.) Backward development; a passing from a higher to a lower state of organization or structure, as when an animal, approaching maturity, becomes less highly organized than would be expected from its earlier stages or known relationship. Called also retrograde development , and regressive metamorphism .
Retrogressive Re`tro·gres"sive adjective [ Confer French
rétrogressif .]
1. Tending to retrograde; going or moving backward; declining from a better to a worse state. 2. (Biol.) Passing from a higher to a lower condition; declining from a more perfect state of organization; regressive.
Retrogressively Re`tro·gres"sive·ly adverb In a retrogressive manner.
Retromingency Re`tro·min"gen·cy noun The quality or state of being retromingent. Sir T. Browne.
Retromingent Re`tro·min"gent adjective [ Prefix
retro- + Latin
mingens , present participle of
mingere to urinate.]
Organized so as to discharge the urine backward. --
noun (Zoology) An animal that discharges its urine backward.
Retropulsive Re`tro·pul"sive adjective [ Prefix
retro- + Latin
pellere ,
pulsum , to impel.]
Driving back; repelling.
Retrorse Re·trorse" adjective [ Latin
retrorsus ,
retroversus ;
retro back +
vertere ,
versum , to turn. Confer
Retrovert .]
Bent backward or downward. --
Re*trorse"ly ,
adverb
Retrospect Re"tro·spect intransitive verb [ Latin
retrospicere ;
retro back +
specere ,
spectum , to look. See
Spy ,
and cf .
Expect .]
To look backward; hence, to affect or concern what is past. It may be useful to retrospect to an early period.
A. Hamilton.
Retrospect Re"tro·spect noun A looking back on things past; view or contemplation of the past. Cowper. We may introduce a song without retrospect to the old comedy.
Landor.
Retrospection Re`tro·spec"tion noun The act, or the faculty, of looking back on things past.
Retrospective Re`tro·spec"tive adjective [ Confer French
rétrospectif .]
1. Looking backward; contemplating things past; -- opposed to prospective ; as, a retrospective view. The sage, with retrospective eye.
Pope. 2. Having reference to what is past; affecting things past; retroactive; as, a retrospective law. Inflicting death by a retrospective enactment.
Macaulay.
Retrospectively Re`tro·spec"tive·ly adverb By way of retrospect.
Retroussé Re·trous`sé" adjective [ French, p.p. of
retrousser to turn up.]
Turned up; -- said of a pug nose. [ Webster 1913 Suppl.]
Retroussé Re·trous`sé" adjective [ French, p.p. of
retrousser to turn up.]
Turned up; -- said of a pug nose.
Retrovaccination Re`tro·vac`ci·na"tion noun (Medicine) The inoculation of a cow with human vaccine virus.
Retroversion Re`tro·ver"sion noun [ Confer French
rétroversion . See
Retrovert .]
A turning or bending backward; also, the state of being turned or bent backward; displacement backwards; as, retroversion of the uterus. » In
retroversion the bending is gradual or curved; in
retroflexion it is abrupt or angular.
Retrovert Re"tro·vert transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Retroverted ;
present participle & verbal noun Retroverting .] [ Prefix
retro- + Latin
vertere ,
versum , to turn. Confer
Retrorse .]
To turn back.
Retroverted Re"tro·vert·ed adjective In a state of retroversion.
Retrude Re·trude" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Retruded ;
present participle & verbal noun Retruding .] [ Latin
retrudere ;
re- +
trudere to thrust.]
To thrust back. [ R.]
Dr. H. More.
Retruse Re·truse" adjective [ Latin
retrusus concealed, past participle of
retrudere .]
Abstruse. [ Obsolete]
Dr. H. More.
Retrusion Re·tru"sion noun The act of retruding, or the state of being retruded. In virtue of an endless remotion or retrusion of the constituent cause.
Coleridge.
Retry Re·try" transitive verb To try (esp. judicially) a second time; as, to retry a case; to retry an accused person.
Rette Rette transitive verb See Aret . [ Obsolete]
Chaucer.
Rettery Ret"ter·y noun A place or establishment where flax is retted. See Ret . Ure.
Retting Ret"ting noun 1. The act or process of preparing flax for use by soaking, maceration, and kindred processes; -- also called rotting . See Ret . Ure. 2. A place where flax is retted; a rettery. Ure.
Retund Re·tund" transitive verb [ Latin
retundere ,
retusum ; prefix
re- re- +
tundere to beat.]
To blunt; to turn, as an edge; figuratively, to cause to be obtuse or dull; as, to retund confidence. Ray. Cudworth.
Return Re·turn" intransitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Returned ;
present participle & verbal noun Returning .] [ Middle English
returnen ,
retournen , French
retourner ; prefix
re- re- +
tourner to turn. See
Turn .]
1. To turn back; to go or come again to the same place or condition. "
Return to your father's house."
Chaucer. On their embattled ranks the waves return .
Milton. If they returned out of bondage, it must be into a state of freedom.
Locke. Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return .
Gen. iii. 19. 2. To come back, or begin again, after an interval, regular or irregular; to appear again. With the year
Seasons return ; but not me returns
Day or the sweet approach of even or morn.
Milton. 3. To speak in answer; to reply; to respond. He said, and thus the queen of heaven returned .
Pope. 4. To revert; to pass back into possession. And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David.
1Kings xii. 26. 5. To go back in thought, narration, or argument. "But to
return to my story."
Fielding.
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