Revised 2010 More entries for "retreat"

retreatverb2

Etymology
Meaning & use
Pronunciation
Frequency

Quotations

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Factsheet

What does the verb retreat mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the verb retreat. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

See meaning & use

How common is the verb retreat?

Fewer than 0.01occurrences per million words in modern written English

1750	0.017
1760	0.017
1770	0.018
1780	0.019
1790	0.02
1800	0.021
1810	0.021
1820	0.022
1830	0.023
1840	0.023
1850	0.022
1860	0.021
1870	0.02
1880	0.018
1890	0.016
1900	0.014
1910	0.013
1920	0.012
1930	0.011
1940	0.0099
1950	0.0094
1960	0.0093
1970	0.0093
1980	0.0093
1990	0.0094
2000	0.0093
2010	0.0094

See frequency

How is the verb retreat pronounced?

British English

/ˌriːˈtriːt/

ree-TREET

U.S. English

/riˈtrit/

ree-TREET

See pronunciation

Where does the verb retreat come from?

Earliest known use

mid 1500s

The earliest known use of the verb retreat is in the mid 1500s.

OED's earliest evidence for retreat is from 1543, in the writing of George Joye, evangelical author.

retreat is formed within English, by derivation.

Etymons: re- prefix, treat v.

See etymology

Nearby entries

retravirus, n.1975–
retraxit, n.1579–
retray, v.a1470–1562
retread, n.1909–
retread, v.¹1605–
retread, v.²1904–
retread course, n.1943–
retreader, n.1905–
retreat, n.c1330–
retreat, v.¹c1443–
retreat, v.²1543–
retreatal, adj.1893–
retreatant, n.1860–
retreat beating, n.1754–
retreat centre | retreat center, n.1908–
retreated, adj.1556–
retreater, n.1643–
retreatful, adj.?1624–
retreating, n.a1450–
retreating, adj.1643–
retreatism, n.1920–

Browse more nearby entries

Etymology

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Meaning & use

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Pronunciation

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Frequency

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Entry history for retreat, v.²

retreat, v.² was revised in March 2010.

retreat, v.² was last modified in July 2023.

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into retreat, v.² in July 2023.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1908)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

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View re-treat, v.² in OED Second Edition

Cite

Chicago

Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .

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MLA9

“” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, , .

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Citation details

Factsheet for retreat, v.²

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Nearby entries

retravirus, n.1975–
retraxit, n.1579–
retray, v.a1470–1562
retread, n.1909–
retread, v.¹1605–
retread, v.²1904–
retread course, n.1943–
retreader, n.1905–
retreat, n.c1330–
retreat, v.¹c1443–
retreat, v.²1543–
retreatal, adj.1893–
retreatant, n.1860–
retreat beating, n.1754–
retreat centre | retreat center, n.1908–
retreated, adj.1556–
retreater, n.1643–
retreatful, adj.?1624–
retreating, n.a1450–
retreating, adj.1643–
retreatism, n.1920–

Browse more nearby entries