retracts
|re-tracts|
/rɪˈtrækt/
(retract)
withdraw or pull back
Etymology
'retract' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'retrahere', where 're-' meant 'back' and 'trahere' meant 'to draw'.
'retract' changed from the Latin word 'retrahere' through Late Latin/Middle French forms (e.g. 'retractare' / 'retracter') and Middle English 'retracten' to become the modern English word 'retract'.
Initially, it meant 'to draw back' (physically), but over time it evolved to include the current meaning 'to withdraw or take back (a statement or claim)' while retaining the physical sense of pulling back.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural form of 'retract' meaning acts of retracting or things that have been retracted (less common than 'retractions').
The editor posted several retracts after discovering the errors.
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Verb 1
to withdraw or take back (a statement, accusation, or promise).
After new evidence emerged, the witness retracts his earlier statement.
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Verb 2
to draw back or pull back (a part of the body or an object) into a covering or more protected position.
When threatened, the turtle retracts into its shell.
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Last updated: 2026/01/11 13:31