retreat
(noun) the act of withdrawing or going backward (especially to escape something hazardous or unpleasant)
retirement, retreat
(noun) withdrawal for prayer and study and meditation; “the religious retreat is a form of vacation activity”
retreat
(noun) (military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy’s superior forces or after a defeat; “the disorderly retreat of French troops”
hideaway, retreat
(noun) an area where you can be alone
retreat
(noun) (military) a bugle call signaling the lowering of the flag at sunset
retreat
(noun) (military) a signal to begin a withdrawal from a dangerous position
retreat
(noun) a place of privacy; a place affording peace and quiet
retreat, pull back, back out, back away, crawfish, crawfish out, pull in one's horns, withdraw
(verb) make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity; “We’ll have to crawfish out from meeting with him”; “He backed out of his earlier promise”; “The aggressive investment company pulled in its horns”
withdraw, retreat, pull away, draw back, recede, pull back, retire, move back
(verb) pull back or move away or backward; “The enemy withdrew”; “The limo pulled away from the curb”
retrograde, retreat
(verb) move back; “The glacier retrogrades”
retreat
(verb) move away, as for privacy; “The Pope retreats to Castelgondolfo every summer”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
retreat (plural retreats)
The act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous, or unpleasant.
The act of reversing direction and receding from a forward position.
A peaceful, quiet place affording privacy or security.
(rare and obsolete, euphemism) A peaceful, quiet place in which to urinate and defecate: an outhouse; a lavatory.
A period of retirement, seclusion, or solitude.
A period of meditation, prayer or study.
Withdrawal by military force from a dangerous position or from enemy attack.
A signal for a military withdrawal.
A bugle call or drumbeat signaling the lowering of the flag at sunset, as on a military base.
A military ceremony to lower the flag.
(chess) The move of a piece from a threatened position.
retreat (third-person singular simple present retreats, present participle retreating, simple past and past participle retreated) (intransitive)
To withdraw from a position, go back.
(of a glacier) To shrink back due to generally warmer temperatures.
To slope back.
retreat (third-person singular simple present retreats, present participle retreating, simple past and past participle retreated)
Alternative spelling of re-treat
• treater, tree rat
Source: Wiktionary
Re*treat", n. Etym: [F. retraite, fr. retraire to withdraw, L. retrahere; pref. re- re- + trahere to draw. See Trace, and cf. Retract, Retrace.]
1. The act of retiring or withdrawing one's self, especially from what is dangerous or disagreeable. In a retreat he oShak.
2. The place to which anyone retires; a place or privacy or safety; a refuge; an asylum. He built his son a house of pleasure, and spared no cost to make a delicious retreat. L'Estrange. That pleasing shade they sought, a soft retreat From sudden April showers, a shelter from the heat. Dryden.
3. (Mil. & Naval.) (a) The retiring of an army or body of men from the face of an enemy, or from any ground occupied to a greater distance from the enemy, or from an advanced position. (b) The withdrawing of a ship or fleet from an enemy for the purpose of avoiding an engagement or escaping after defeat. (c) A signal given in the army or navy, by the beat of a drum or the sounding of trumpet or bugle, at sunset (when the roll is called), or for retiring from action.
Note: A retreat is properly an orderly march, in which circumstance it differs from a flight.
4. (Eccl.) (a) A special season of solitude and silence to engage in religious exercises. (b) A period of several days of withdrawal from society to a religious house for exclusive occupation in the duties of devotion; as, to appoint or observe a retreat.
Syn.
– Retirement; departure; withdrawment; seclusion; solitude; privacy; asylum; shelter; refuge.
Re*treat", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Retreated; p. pr. & vb. n. Retreating.]
Definition: To make a retreat; to retire from any position or place; to withdraw; as, the defeated army retreated from the field. The rapid currents drive Towards the retreating sea their furious tide. Milton.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
1 June 2025
(verb) come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect; “Your comments may backfire and cause you a lot of trouble”; “the political movie backlashed on the Democrats”
Coffee starts as a yellow berry, changes into a red berry, and then is picked by hand to harvest. The red berry is de-shelled through a water soaking process and what’s left inside is the green coffee bean. This bean then dries in the sun for 3-5 days, where it is then packed and ready for sale.
