Dictionary definition · 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"
- a place of privacy; a place affording peace and quiet
- (military) a signal to begin a withdrawal from a dangerous position
- (military) a bugle call signaling the lowering of the flag at sunset
- an area where you can be alone
- withdrawal for prayer and study and meditation"the religious retreat is a form of vacation activity"
- the act of withdrawing or going backward (especially to escape something hazardous or unpleasant)
verb
- pull back or move away or backward"The enemy withdrew"
- move away, as for privacy"The Pope retreats to Castelgondolfo every summer"
- move back"The glacier retrogrades"
- make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity"We'll have to crawfish out from meeting with him"
Source: Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).