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 intransitive verb [ Prefix retro- + act .] To act backward, or in return; to act in opposition; to be retrospective.

Retroaction noun [ Confer French rétroaction .]
1. Action returned, or action backward.

2. Operation on something past or preceding.

Retroactive 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 adverb In a retroactive manner.

Retrocede transitive verb [ Prefix retro- + cede : confer French rétrocéder .] To cede or grant back; as, to retrocede a territory to a former proprietor.

Retrocede intransitive verb [ Latin retrocedere ; retro backward, back + cedere to go. See Cede .] To go back.

Retrocedent 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 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 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 adjective [ See Retrocopulation .] Copulating backward, or from behind.

Retrocopulation noun [ Prefix retro- + copulation .] Copulation from behind. Sir T. Browne.

Retroduction noun [ Latin retroducere , retroductum , to lead or bring back; retro backward + ducere to lead.] A leading or bringing back.

Retroflex, Retroflexed adjective [ Prefix retro- + Latin flectere , flexum , to bend, to turn.] Reflexed; bent or turned abruptly backward.

Retroflexion noun The act of reflexing; the state of being retroflexed. Confer Retroversion .

Retrofract, Retrofracted adjective [ Prefix retro- + Latin fractus , past participle of frangere to break.] (Botany) Refracted; as, a retrofract stem.

Retrogenerative adjective [ Prefix retro- + generative .] Begetting young by retrocopulation.

Retrogradation noun [ French rétrogradation or Latin retrogradatio . See Retrograde .]
1. The act of retrograding, or moving backward.

2. The state of being retrograde; decline.

Retrograde 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 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 adverb By retrograding; so as to retrograde.

Retrogress noun [ Confer Latin retrogressus .] Retrogression. [ R.] H. Spenser.

Retrogression 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 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 adverb In a retrogressive manner.

Retromingency noun The quality or state of being retromingent. Sir T. Browne.

Retromingent 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 adjective [ Prefix retro- + Latin pellere , pulsum , to impel.] Driving back; repelling.

Retrorse adjective [ Latin retrorsus , retroversus ; retro back + vertere , versum , to turn. Confer Retrovert .] Bent backward or downward. -- Re*trorse"ly , adverb

Retrospect 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 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 noun The act, or the faculty, of looking back on things past.

Retrospective 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 adverb By way of retrospect.

Retroussé adjective [ French, p.p. of retrousser to turn up.] Turned up; -- said of a pug nose.
[ Webster 1913 Suppl.]

Retrovaccination noun (Medicine) The inoculation of a cow with human vaccine virus.

Retroversion 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 transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Retroverted ; present participle & verbal noun Retroverting .] [ Prefix retro- + Latin vertere , versum , to turn. Confer Retrorse .] To turn back.

Retroverted adjective In a state of retroversion.

Retrude 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 adjective [ Latin retrusus concealed, past participle of retrudere .] Abstruse. [ Obsolete] Dr. H. More.

Retrusion 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 transitive verb To try (esp. judicially) a second time; as, to retry a case; to retry an accused person.

Rette transitive verb See Aret . [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Rettery noun A place or establishment where flax is retted. See Ret . Ure.

Retting 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 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.