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Webster 1913 Edition

Retire

Re-tire′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Retired
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Retiring
.]
[F.
retirer
; pref.
re-
re- +
tirer
to draw. See
Tirade
.]
1.
To withdraw; to take away; – sometimes used reflexively.
He . . .
retired
himself, his wife, and children into a forest.
Sir P. Sidney.
As when the sun is present all the year,
And never doth
retire
his golden ray.
Sir J. Davies.
2.
To withdraw from circulation, or from the market; to take up and pay;
as, to
retire
bonds; to
retire
a note.
3.
To cause to retire; specifically, to designate as no longer qualified for active service; to place on the retired list;
as, to
retire
a military or naval officer
.

Re-tire′

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To go back or return; to draw back or away; to keep aloof; to withdraw or retreat, as from observation; to go into privacy;
as, to
retire
to his home; to
retire
from the world, or from notice.
To Una back he cast him to
retire
.
Spenser.
The mind contracts herself, and shrinketh in,
And to herself she gladly doth
retire
.
Sir J. Davies.
2.
To retreat from action or danger; to withdraw for safety or pleasure;
as, to
retire
from battle
.
Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and
retire
ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
2 Sam. xi. 15.
3.
To withdraw from a public station, or from business;
as, having made a large fortune, he
retired
.
And from Britannia’s public posts
retire
.
Addison.
4.
To recede; to fall or bend back;
as, the shore of the sea
retires
in bays and gulfs
.
5.
To go to bed;
as, he usually
retires
early
.
Syn. – To withdraw; leave; depart; secede; recede; retreat; retrocede.

Re-tire′

,
Noun.
1.
The act of retiring, or the state of being retired; also, a place to which one retires.
[Obs.]
The battle and the
retire
of the English succors.
Bacon.
[Eve] discover'd soon the place of her
retire
.
Milton.
2.
(Mil.)
A call sounded on a bugle, announcing to skirmishers that they are to retire, or fall back.

Webster 1828 Edition

Retire

RETI'RE

, v.i.
1.
To withdraw; to retreat; to go from company or from a public place into privacy; as, to retire from the world; to retire from notice.
2.
To retreat from action or danger; as, to retire from battle.
3.
To withdraw from a public station. General Washington, in 1796, retired to private life.
4.
To break up, as a company or assembly. The company retired at eleven o'clock.
5.
To depart or withdraw for safety or for pleasure. Men retire from the town in summer for health and pleasure. But in South Carolina, the planters retire from their estates to Charleston, or to an isle near the town.
6.
To recede; to fall back. The shore of the sea retires in bays and gulfs.

RETI'RE

,
Verb.
T.
To withdraw; to take away.
He retired himself, his wife and children into a forest.
As when the sun is present all the year, and never doth retire his golden ray.
[This transitive use of retire is now obsolete.]

RETI'RE

,
Noun.
1.
Retreat; recession; a withdrawing. Obs.
2.
Retirement; place of privacy. Obs.

Definition 2024

retire

retire

See also: retiré

English

Verb

retire ‎(third-person singular simple present retires, present participle retiring, simple past and past participle retired)

  1. (intransitive) To stop working on a permanent basis, usually because of old age or illness.
    Having made a large fortune, he retired.
    He wants to retire at 55.
  2. (transitive, sometimes reflexive) To withdraw; to take away.
    • Sir Philip Sidney
      He […] retired himself, his wife, and children into a forest.
    • Sir J. Davies
      As when the sun is present all the year, / And never doth retire his golden ray.
  3. (transitive) To cease use or production of something
    The steamship made thousands of trips over several decades before it was retired by the shipping company
  4. (transitive) To withdraw from circulation, or from the market; to take up and pay; as, to retire bonds; to retire a note.
    The central bank retired those notes five years ago.
  5. (transitive) To cause to retire; specifically, to designate as no longer qualified for active service; to place on the retired list; as, to retire a military or naval officer.
    The board retired the old major.
  6. (transitive, cricket, of a batsman) To voluntarily stop batting before being dismissed so that the next batsman can bat
    Jones retired in favour of Smith.
  7. (transitive, baseball, of a fielder) To make a play which results in a runner or the batter being out, either by means of a put out, fly out or strikeout
    Jones retired Smith 6-3.
  8. (intransitive) To go back or return; to draw back or away; to keep aloof; to withdraw or retreat, as from observation; to go into privacy; as, to retire to his home; to retire from the world, or from notice.
    I will retire to the study.
  9. (intransitive) To retreat from action or danger; to withdraw for safety or pleasure; as, to retire from battle.
    The regiment retired from the fray after the Major was killed.
  10. (intransitive) To recede; to fall or bend back; as, the shore of the sea retires in bays and gulfs.
    Past the point, the shore retires into a sequence of coves.
  11. (intransitive) To go to bed.
    I will retire for the night.

Noun

retire ‎(plural retires)

  1. (rare) The act of retiring, or the state of being retired; also, a place to which one retires.
  2. (dated) A call sounded on a bugle, announcing to skirmishers that they are to retire, or fall back.
    At the retire, the cavalry fell back.

Derived terms

Translations
Related terms

Etymology 2

re- +‎ tire

Alternative forms

Verb

retire ‎(third-person singular simple present retires, present participle retiring, simple past and past participle retired)

  1. (transitive) To fit (a vehicle) with new tires.

Anagrams

French

Verb

retire

  1. first-person singular present indicative of retirer
  2. third-person singular present indicative of retirer
  3. first-person singular present subjunctive of retirer
  4. third-person singular present subjunctive of retirer
  5. second-person singular imperative of retirer

Anagrams

Portuguese

Verb

retire

  1. first-person singular present subjunctive of retirar
  2. third-person singular present subjunctive of retirar
  3. first-person singular imperative of retirar
  4. third-person singular imperative of retirar

Spanish

Verb

retire

  1. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of retirar.
  2. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of retirar.
  3. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of retirar.
  4. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present subjunctive form of retirar.

Etymology

From Middle French retirer ‎(“draw back”), from prefix re- ‎(“back”), + verb tirer ‎(“draw, pull”), from Old French tirer, tirier ‎(“to draw out, arrange, adorn”), from tire, tiere ‎(“row, rank, order, dress”) of Germanic origin akin to Old English and Old Saxon tīr ‎(“fame, glory, ornament”), Old English tīer ‎(“rank, row”), Old High German ziari, zēri ‎(“ornament”), German Zier ‎(“ornament, adornment”), German zieren ‎(“to adorn”). More at tier.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ɹəˈtaɪ.ə(ɹ)/
  • Rhymes: -aɪə(ɹ)

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