noun
Meaning 1
Any thing or person that retains.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
retainer
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
-
Received-Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈteɪn.ə/
-
Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
-
General-American: /ɹɪˈteɪn.ɚ/
-
General-American: /ɹəˈteɪn.ɚ/
-
rhymes with -eɪnə(ɹ)
-
CMU ARPABET: R IH0 T EY1 N ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
-
CMU ARPABET 2: R IY0 T EY1 N ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
A dependent or follower of someone of rank.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A paid servant, especially one who has been employed for many years.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A fee one pays to reserve the other's time for services.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- This lawyer charges a retainer for his work.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
A device that holds teeth in position after orthodontic treatment.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: dentistry, medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
A retaining valve.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: engineering, mechanical, mechanical-engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, rail-transport, railways, transport
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
a dental appliance that holds teeth (or a prosthesis) in position after orthodontic treatment
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: dental appliance
noun
Meaning 8
a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: servant
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: worker
Narrower terms: body servant, cabin boy, domestic, domestic help, house servant, factotum, familiar, lackey, flunky, flunkey, major-domo, seneschal, manservant, menial, scullion, servant girl, serving girl
noun
Meaning 9
a fee charged in advance to retain the services of someone
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: consideration
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: fee
Narrower terms: quid pro quo, quid
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English retain Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English retainer From retain + -er.
Across languages
Translations
41 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: задръжка (zadrǎžka) — any thing or person that retains
- Finnish: pidike — any thing or person that retains
- Finnish: pidäke — any thing or person that retains
- Portuguese: retentor — any thing or person that retains
- Bulgarian: слуга (sluga) — dependent or follower
- Bulgarian: васал (vasal) — dependent or follower
- Egyptian: Sms-w (šmsw) — dependent or follower
- Esperanto: akompananto — dependent or follower
- French: suite — dependent or follower
- German: Dienstmann — dependent or follower
- German: Gefolgsmann — dependent or follower
- German: Vasall — dependent or follower
- Japanese: 家来 (kerai) — dependent or follower
- Middle English: hirdman — dependent or follower
- Bengali: নওকর (nôukôr) — paid servant
- Bulgarian: слуга (sluga) — paid servant
- Egyptian: Sms-w (šmsw) — paid servant
- Finnish: palvelija — paid servant
- French: serviteur — paid servant
- German: Bediensteter — paid servant
- Japanese: 臣下 (shinka) — paid servant
- Russian: слуга́ (slugá) — paid servant
- Spanish: criado — paid servant
- Bulgarian: предплата (predplata) — fee
- Finnish: ennakkopalkkio — fee
- Finnish: ennakkomaksu — fee
- French: avance — fee
- Manx: argid kianglee — fee
- Russian: предвари́тельный гонора́р (predvarítelʹnyj gonorár) — fee
- Spanish: anticipo — fee
- Dutch: retentiebeugel — dentistry: device
- Finnish: hammastuki — dentistry: device
- French: faux-palais — dentistry: device
- French: contention — dentistry: device
- German: Retainer — dentistry: device
- German: Zahnspange — dentistry: device
- Norwegian Bokmål: regulering — dentistry: device
- Norwegian Nynorsk: regulering — dentistry: device
- Polish: aparat ortodontyczny — dentistry: device
- Portuguese: aparelho — dentistry: device
- Spanish: retenedor (ortodóntico / ortodóncico) — dentistry: device
Real reading context