Retire

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: re=tire

CIDE DICTIONARY

Retire, v. t. [F. retirer; pref. re- re- + tirer to draw. See Tirade.].

•  To withdraw; to take away; -- sometimes used reflexively.  [1913 Webster]

  "He . . . retired himself, his wife, and children into a forest."  [1913 Webster]

  "As when the sun is present all the year,
  And never doth retire his golden ray."  [1913 Webster]
•  To withdraw from circulation, or from the market; to take up and pay; as, to retire bonds; to retire a note.  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

Retire, v. i. 

•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "To Una back he cast him to retire."  [1913 Webster]

  "The mind contracts herself, and shrinketh in,
  And to herself she gladly doth retire."  [1913 Webster]
•  To retreat from action or danger; to withdraw for safety or pleasure; as, to retire from battle.  [1913 Webster]

  "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die."  [1913 Webster]
•  To withdraw from a public station, or from business; as, having made a large fortune, he retired.  [1913 Webster]

  "And from Britannia's public posts retire."  [1913 Webster]
•  To recede; to fall or bend back; as, the shore of the sea retires in bays and gulfs.  [1913 Webster]
•  To go to bed; as, he usually retires early.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To withdraw; leave; depart; secede; recede; retreat; retrocede.

Retire, n. 

•  The act of retiring, or the state of being retired; also, a place to which one retires.  [1913 Webster]

  "The battle and the retire of the English succors."  [1913 Webster]

  "[Eve] discover'd soon the place of her retire."  [1913 Webster]
•  A call sounded on a bugle, announcing to skirmishers that they are to retire, or fall back.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Retire, v.
1 a intr. leave office or employment, esp. because of age (retire from the army; retire on a pension). b tr. cause (a person) to retire from work.
2 intr. withdraw; go away; retreat.
3 intr. seek seclusion or shelter.
4 intr. go to bed.
5 tr. withdraw (troops).
6 intr. & tr. Cricket (of a batsman) voluntarily end or be compelled to suspend one's innings (retired hurt).
7 tr. Econ. withdraw (a bill or note) from circulation or currency.

Idiom

retire from the world become a recluse. retire into oneself become uncommunicative or unsociable. retiring age the age at which most people normally retire from work.

Derivative

retirer n.

Etymology

F retirer (as RE-, tirer draw)

THESAURUS

Retire

abandon, abdicate, abscond, amortize, avoid the limelight, back down, back out, be pensioned, be superannuated, beat a retreat, bed, bed down, blush unseen, boot, bounce, bow out, bowl, break, bump, bust, can, cashier, clear, cop out, count sheep, cup, decline, deconsecrate, defrock, degrade, demit, demote, depart, deplume, depose, deprive, dethrone, die away, diminish, disappear, disbar, discharge, discrown, disemploy, disengage, disenthrone, dish, dismiss, displace, displume, doss down, draw back, draw off, drift away, drop, drum out, dwindle, ebb, evacuate, excommunicate, exit, expel, fade, fade away, fall back, fire, flop, forsake the world, furlough, get away, get off, give back, give ground, give place, give the ax, give the gate, give up, go, go away, go back, go beddy-bye, go into retirement, go night-night, go off, go to bed, go to sleep, hibernate, hit the hay, hit the sack, hollow, honor, incurve, junk, keep secret, kick, kick upstairs, kip, lay off, leave, let go, let out, lie down, lift, liquidate, live alone, live apart, live in retirement, make accounts square, make redundant, move away, move back, move off, oust, overthrow, pay in full, pay off, pay the bill, pay the shot, pay up, pension, pension off, pile in, pull away, pull back, pull out, purge, quit, read out of, recede, redeem, refuse comment, release, relinquish, remain incommunicado, remove, remove from office, renounce the throne, replace, resign, retire from office, retreat, retrocede, roll in, run along, run back, rusticate, sack, sack out, satisfy, scrap, separate forcibly, settle, shrink, shun companionship, sink, snooze, square, square accounts, stand aloof, stand aside, stand back, stand down, stand mute, stand off, stay at home, step aside, strike a balance, strip, strip of office, strip of rank, superannuate, surplus, surrender, suspend, take a nap, take forty winks, take it easy, take off, take the veil, take up, terminate, turn in, turn off, turn out, unchurch, unfrock, unsaddle, unseat, unthrone, vacate, vanish, wane, waste no words, widen the distance, withdraw, withdraw from, yield

ROGET THESAURUS

Retire

Avoidance

VB abstain, refrain, spare, not attempt, not do, maintain the even tenor of one's way, eschew, keep from, let alone, have nothing to do with, keep aloof keep off, stand aloof, stand off, hold aloof, hold off, take no part in, have no hand in, avoid, shun, steer clear of, keep clear of, fight shy of, keep one's distance, keep at a respectful distance, keep out of the way, get out of the way, evade, elude, turn away from, set one's face against, deny oneself, shrink back, hang back, hold back, draw back, recoil, retire, flinch, blink, blench, shy, shirk, dodge, parry, make way for, give place to, beat a retreat, turn tail, turn one's back, take to one's heels, runaway, run for one's life, cut and run, be off like a shot, fly, flee, fly away, flee away, run away from, take flight, take to flight, desert, elope, make off, scamper off, sneak off, shuffle off, sheer off, break away, tear oneself away, slip away, slink away, steel away, make away from, scamper away from, sneak away from, shuffle away from, sheer away from, slip cable, part company, turn one's heel, sneak out of, play truant, give one the go by, give leg bail, take French leave, slope, decamp, flit, bolt, abscond, levant, skedaddle, absquatulat, cut one's stick, walk one's chalks, show a light pair of heels, make oneself scarce, escape, go away, abandon, reject, lead one a dance, lead one a pretty dance, throw off the scent, play at hide and seek, Adj, unsought, unattempted, avoiding, neutral, shy of, elusive, evasive, fugitive, runaway, shy, wild.

Resignation

VB resign, give up, throw up, lay down, throw up the cards, wash one's hands of, abjure, renounce, forego, disclaim, retract, deny, abrogate, desert, get rid of, abdicate, vacate, vacate one's seat, accept the stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds, retire, tender one's resignation.

Modesty

VB be modest, retire, reserve oneself, give way to, draw in one's horns, hide one's face, keep private, keep in the background, keep one's distance, pursue the noiseless tenor of one's way, do good by stealth and blush to find it fame, hide one's light under a bushel, cast a sheep's eye.

Exclusion

VB be excluded from, exclude, bar, leave out, shut out, bar out, reject, repudiate, blackball, lay apart, put apart, set apart, lay aside, put aside, relegate, segregate, throw overboard, strike off, strike out, neglect, banish, separate, pass over, omit, garble, eliminate, weed, winnow, be secluded, live secluded, keep aloof, stand, hold oneself aloof, keep in the background, stand in the background, keep snug, shut oneself up, deny oneself, seclude oneself creep into a corner, rusticate, aller planter ses choux, retire, retire from the world, take the veil, abandon, sport one's oak, cut, cut dead, refuse to associate with, refuse to acknowledge, look cool upon, turn one's back upon, shut the door upon, repel, blackball, excommunicate, exclude, exile, expatriate, banish, outlaw, maroon, ostracize, proscribe, cut off from, send to Coventry, keep at arm's length, draw a cordon round, depopulate, dispeople, unpeople.

Concavity

VB be concave, retire, cave in, render concave, depress, hollow, scoop, scoop out, gouge, gouge out, dig, delve, excavate, dent, dint, mine, sap, undermine, burrow, tunnel, stave in.

Regression

VB recede, regrade, return, revert, retreat, retire, retrograde, retrocede, back out, back down, balk, crawfish, crawl, withdraw, rebound, go back, come back, turn back, hark back, draw back, fall back, get back, put back, run back, lose ground, fall astern, drop astern, backwater, put about, backtrack, take the back track, veer round, double, wheel, countermarch, ebb, regurgitate, jib, shrink, shy, turn tail, turn round, turn upon one's heel, turn one's back upon, retrace one's steps, dance the back step, sound a retreat, beat a retreat, go home.

Recession

VB recede, go, move back, move from, retire, withdraw, shrink, back off, come away, move away, back away, go away, get away, drift away, depart, retreat, move off, stand off, sheer off, fall back, stand aside, run away, remove, shunt, distance.

Departure

VB depart, go away, take one's departure, set out, set off, march off, put off, start off, be off, move off, get off, whip off, pack off, go off, take oneself off, start, issue, march out, debouch, go forth, sally forth, sally, set forward, be gone, hail from, leave a place, quit, vacate, evacuate, abandon, go off the stage, make one's exit, retire, withdraw, remove, vamoose, vamose, go one's way, go along, go from home, take flight, take wing, spring, fly, flit, wing one's flight, fly away, whip away, embark, go on board, go aboard, set sail' put to sea, go to sea, sail, take ship, hoist blue Peter, get under way, weigh anchor, strike tents, decamp, walk one's chalks, cut one's stick, take leave, say good bye, bid goodbye, disappear, abscond, entrain, inspan.