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Fine Dictionary

retract

riˈtrækt
WordNet
Padlock with slide and turn key
Padlock with slide and turn key
A damask (?) Elongated padlock, with a retractable shackle. A rotary key with a solid grip, provided with a small hole, opens the lock case, making it possible to compress the springs and open the lock with the sliding key. Copper damask iron.
  1. (v) retract
    formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure "He retracted his earlier statements about his religion","She abjured her beliefs"
  2. (v) retract
    pull inward or towards a center "The pilot drew in the landing gear","The cat retracted his claws"
  3. (v) retract
    use a surgical instrument to hold open (the edges of a wound or an organ)
  4. (v) retract
    pull away from a source of disgust or fear
Illustrations
Binoculars made of wood with copper parts at the ends. The retractable eye portion consists of five pieces and three lenses. Out is screwed to the copper end of the wooden tube. On the other side, one large lens is screwed into the copper end, and a copper cap on top. Inscription; on extendable piece: Télégraphie Amsterdam / No 41. On the inside of the eye area: 79. On the rim of the largest lens: IV. Signed; on extendable section: Rochette Père / à Paris.
Binoculars made of wood with copper parts at the ends. The retractable eye portion consists of five pieces and three lenses. Out is screwed to the copper end of the wooden tube. On the other side, one large lens is screwed into the copper end, and a copper cap on top. Inscription; on extendable piece: Télégraphie Amsterdam / No 41. On the inside of the eye area: 79. On the rim of the largest lens: IV. Signed; on extendable section: Rochette Père / à Paris.
Lapwing, one leg retracted, on a stump.
Lapwing, one leg retracted, on a stump.
Fire screen of the Kops suite, with a retractable board. The upholstery shows a bouquet amid floral motifs on light blue satin ground and held by two griffins; below are crossed arrows with a bow. The screen rests on a double curved base and has freestanding Tuscan columns at the corners with a smooth bottom and fluted top shank. Door sills with woven braided tape. Coming from the building Nieuwe Gracht 74, Haarlem. See: BK-15615-a / p, 15614 and 15616-a.
Fire screen of the Kops suite, with a retractable board. The upholstery shows a bouquet amid floral motifs on light blue satin ground and held by two griffins; below are crossed arrows with a bow. The screen rests on a double curved base and has freestanding Tuscan columns at the corners with a smooth bottom and fluted top shank. Door sills with woven braided tape. Coming from the building Nieuwe Gracht 74, Haarlem. See: BK-15615-a / p, 15614 and 15616-a.
Fire screen of the Kops suite, with a retractable board. The upholstery shows a bouquet on a light blue satin ground, surrounded by floral motifs and held by two griffins; below are crossed arrows with a bow. The screen rests on a double curved base and has freestanding Tuscan columns at the corners with a smooth bottom and fluted top shank. Door sills with woven braided tape. Comes from building Nieuwe Gracht 74, Haarlem. See: BK-15615-a / p, 15614 and 15616-b.
Fire screen of the Kops suite, with a retractable board. The upholstery shows a bouquet on a light blue satin ground, surrounded by floral motifs and held by two griffins; below are crossed arrows with a bow. The screen rests on a double curved base and has freestanding Tuscan columns at the corners with a smooth bottom and fluted top shank. Door sills with woven braided tape. Comes from building Nieuwe Gracht 74, Haarlem. See: BK-15615-a / p, 15614 and 15616-b.
Retractable golden opera glasses with a pendant (medallion) looking glass, decorated with pearls and red cut stones.
Retractable golden opera glasses with a pendant (medallion) looking glass, decorated with pearls and red cut stones.
Fire screen of walnut on an oak core, with retractable tapestry board. The uprights and trestle feet are smooth. The bottom sill is accolade-shaped scalloped and the lintel in a flat arch. The tapestry shows a colorful bouquet on black ground, trimmed green. The back is spiked with green watered linen
Fire screen of walnut on an oak core, with retractable tapestry board. The uprights and trestle feet are smooth. The bottom sill is accolade-shaped scalloped and the lintel in a flat arch. The tapestry shows a colorful bouquet on black ground, trimmed green. The back is spiked with green watered linen
Fire screen in walnut with retractable board and with lid, hanging from hinges and folding bronze supports. The grounded styles are decorated on the sides with animals on branches and female figures that symbolize the four seasons; on the other sides shell and flower motifs. The scalloped sills bear similar decorations. The trestle legs, with a leaf between them, bear decorated lion feet on flat foot blocks. Styles crowned with bronze Moorheads. Decorated handle at the top.
Fire screen in walnut with retractable board and with lid, hanging from hinges and folding bronze supports. The grounded styles are decorated on the sides with animals on branches and female figures that symbolize the four seasons; on the other sides shell and flower motifs. The scalloped sills bear similar decorations. The trestle legs, with a leaf between them, bear decorated lion feet on flat foot blocks. Styles crowned with bronze Moorheads. Decorated handle at the top.
White bird of prey, to the left, with one leg retracted on tree branch, at night.
White bird of prey, to the left, with one leg retracted on tree branch, at night.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
Interesting fact
The cheetah is the only cat in the world that can't retract its claws.
  1. Retract
    (Far) The pricking of a horse's foot in nailing on a shoe.
  2. Retract
    To draw back; to draw up; as, muscles retract after amputation.
  3. Retract
    To take back,, as a grant or favor previously bestowed; to revoke.
  4. Retract
    To withdraw; to recall; to disavow; to recant; to take back; as, to retract an accusation or an assertion. "I would as freely have retracted this charge of idolatry as I ever made it."
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
Interesting fact
Tarantulas do not use muscles to move their legs. They control the amount of blood pumped into them to extend and retract their legs.
  1. retract
    To draw back; draw in: sometimes opposed to protract or protrude: as, a cat retracts her claws.
  2. retract
    To withdraw; remove.
  3. retract
    To take back; undo; recall; recant: as, to retract an assertion or an accusation.
  4. retract
    To contract; lessen in length; shorten. Synonyms Recant, Revoke, etc. (see renounce), disown, withdraw. See list under abjure.
  5. retract
    To draw or shrink back; draw in; recede.
  6. retract
    To undo or unsay what has been done or said before; recall or take back a declaration or a concession; recant.
  7. (n) retract
    A falling back; a retreat.
  8. (n) retract
    A retractation; recantation.
  9. (n) retract
    In farriery, the prick of a horse's foot in nailing a shoe, requiring the nail to be withdrawn.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary
  1. (v.t) Retract
    rē-trakt′ to retrace or draw back: to recall: to recant
  2. (v.i) Retract
    to take back what has been said or granted
Quotations
Adlai E. Stevenson
Accuracy is to a newspaper what virtue is to a lady, but a newspaper can always print a retraction.
Adlai E. Stevenson
Nellie Mcclung
Never retract, never explain, never apologize; get things done and let them howl.
Nellie Mcclung
The awful daring of a moment's surrender which an age of prudence can never retract.
T. S. Eliot
In politics... never retreat, never retract... never admit a mistake.
Napoleon Bonaparte
I am better able to retract what I did not say than what I did.
Ibn Gabirol
Etymology

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary F. rétracter, L. retractare, retractatum, to handle again, reconsider, retract, fr. retrahere, retractum, to draw back. See Retreat

Usage in the news

This American Life' retraction goes deep. ashingtonpost.com

Lou Dobbs' Statements Prompt Hispanic Chamber to Demand Retraction . hispanicbusiness.com

Rep John Shadegg has won an apology and a retraction from an author and a book publisher for repeating a story that Shadegg claims is "false and outrageous.". azcentral.com

Republicans Seek Retraction of Report on Wars' 'Hidden Costs'. ashingtonpost.com

BellSouth Wants USA Today Retraction . cbsnews.com

Cites Cuban Retraction on Shootdown. nytimes.com

Janet Jackson's Lawyer Demands Retraction From Vanity Fair Over Michael Jackson Burial Story. usmagazine.com

Janet Jackson's attorney sent a scathing letter to Vanity Fair demanding a retraction of an article in the November 2012 issue. usmagazine.com

It retracts automatically, allowing full use of the bed. trailerlife.com

When he realizes how his confession will be used, however, he retracts it. cleveland.com

Of 2,000 retractions of published scientific papers since 1977, 866 were because of fraud, a new study finds. csmonitor.com

A review of retractions in medical and biological peer-reviewed journals finds the percentage of studies that had to be withdrawn because of scientific misconduct has jumped several-fold since the mid-1970s. csmonitor.com

WHEN A NEWSPAPER gets its facts wrong, it's supposed to publish a correction, and, if someone's reputation has been harmed, a retraction and apology. ashingtonpost.com

Tony Iannucelli was thrilled with the looks of his Hangar 9.60-size Spitfire, but he wanted to personalize it with invasion stripes and electric retracts. modelairplanenews.com

But she also retracts a claim she made early in her career, which was that she was bisexual . 92moose.fm

Usage in scientific papers

The basic properties of retract rational field extensions are developed in [S].
Generic algebras with involution of degree 8m

Because of the above fact, we will talk about the retract rationality of the stable isomorphism class of a field extension K/F .
Generic algebras with involution of degree 8m

In [S] and [LN sec. 11] a general framework is described along with a result connecting lifting properties with retract rationality.
Generic algebras with involution of degree 8m

Then the stable isomorphism classes of F (V )P Spn and F (V )P On are retract rational over F .
Generic algebras with involution of degree 8m

Equivalently, the stable isomorphism classes of the centers Zt (F , n, r) and Zs (F , n, r) of the generic algebras with orthogonal respectively symplectic involution are retract rational over F .
Generic algebras with involution of degree 8m

Usage in literature

As it happened, Maud Barrington overheard him and made him retract before the company. "Winston of the Prairie" by Harold Bindloss

The facial portion, nose and jaws, is less developed and retracted beneath the larger cranium or brain-case. "The Whence and the Whither of Man" by John Mason Tyler

So I retract my malediction. "The Journal of Sir Walter Scott" by Walter Scott

A point held opposite to it did not cause the retraction of the cone to such an extent as when it was positive. "Experimental Researches in Electricity, Volume 1" by Michael Faraday

This is no longer the same man; he retracts again what he said. "The Tragedies of Euripides, Volume I." by Euripides

Pratyahara, the retraction or withdrawing of the senses. "Hinduism and Buddhism, Vol I. (of 3)" by Charles Eliot

This is conceded by one gentleman, and in the next breath the concession is retracted. "American Eloquence, Volume I. (of 4) Studies In American Political History (1896)" by Various

Some of them were sent to the Tower, but they would not retract. "The Reign of Henry the Eighth, Volume 1 (of 3)" by James Anthony Froude

White and color and also other things are not retracting what they are going to be doing. "Matisse Picasso and Gertrude Stein" by Gertrude Stein

These are the fruits of metaphysic declarations wantonly made and shamefully retracted! "The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. III. (of 12)" by Edmund Burke

Usage in poetry
I stand before the dread, unknown,
Yet solemn fact;
I see the seeds of folly sown
In wayward years, maturely grown,
Nor can retract.
"In Mortem Meditare." by Alfred Castner King
Meanwhile tied not quite close, but just apart,
In withy bands. . by him I swear, my tongue,
Zoe! can never utter half my love.
Retract not one fond word.
"Theron And Zoe" by Walter Savage Landor Author object (682)
Mark: Hold hard there, Maurice, my son,
Let her rest, since her spell is broken;
We can neither recall deeds rashly done,
Nor retract words hastily spoken.
"The Old Leaven" by Adam Lindsay Gordon Author object (13)
Better the flower that smooths the thorns
On earthly pathway found,
Than that which uselessly adorns
The bier or silent mound.
And neither tear nor floral token
Retracts the hasty word, when spoken.
"They Cannot See The Wreaths We Place." by Alfred Castner King
I register this vow, and am content
That it be so. Ah me!--yet, if the door
Shut on our heaven might be asunder rent
Even now, and I could see the way we went,
I might retract my vow, and say no more
I will forget.
"I Will Forget" by Sophie Margaret Hensley