Emily Dickinson Lexicon

RET-RO-GRESS'IVE-LY, adv.

By going or moving backward.

RET-RO-MIN'GEN-CY, n. [L. retro, backward, and mingo, to discharge urine.]

The act or quality of discharging the contents of the bladder backward. – Brown.

RET-RO-MIN'GENT, a.

Discharging the urine backward.

RET-RO-MIN'GENT, n.

In zoology, an animal that discharges its urine backward. The retromingents are a division of animals whose characteristic is that they discharge their urine backward, both the male and female. – Encyc.

RET-RO-PUL'SIVE, a. [L. retro, back, and pulsus, pello, to drive.]

Driving back; repelling. – Med. Repos.

RE-TRORSE-LY, adv. [retrors'ly; L. retrorsum, backward.]

In a backward direction; as, a stem retrorsely aculeate.

RET'RO-SPECT, n. [L. retro, back, and specio, to look.]

A looking back on things past; view or contemplation of something past. The retrospect of a life well spent affords peace of mind in old age.

RET'RO-SPECT, v.i.

To look back; to affect what is past.

RET-RO-SPEC'TION, n.

1. The act of looking back on things past.
2. The faculty of looking back on past things. – Swift.

RET-RO-SPECT'IVE, a.

1. Looking back on past events; as, a retrospective view.
2. Having reference to what is past; affecting things past. A penal statute can have no retrospective effect or operation.

RET-RO-SPECT'IVE-LY, adv.

By way of retrospect.

RET-RO-VER'SION, n.

A turning or falling backward; as, the retroversion of the uterus.

RET'RO-VERT, v.t.

To turn back.

RET'RO-VERT-ED, a. [L. retro, back, and verto, to turn.]

Turned back. – Lawrence, Lect. Med. Repos.

RE-TRUDE, v.t. [L. retrudo; re and trudo, to thrust.]

To thrust back. – More.

RE-TRUD-ED, pp.

Thrust back.

RE-TRUD-ING, ppr.

Thrusting back.

RE-TUND', v.t. [L. retundo; re and tundo, to beat.]

To blunt; to turn; as an edge; to dull; as, to retund the edge of a weapon. – Ray.

RE-TUND'ED, pp.

Blunted; turned, as an edge.

RE-TURN', n.

1. The act of coming or going back to the same place. Takes little journeys and makes quick returns. – Dryden.
2. The act of sending back; as, the return of a borrowed book or of money lent.
3. The act of putting in the former place.
4. Retrogression; the act of moving back.
5. The act or process of coming back to a former state; as, the return of health.
6. Revolution; a periodical coming to the same point; as the return of the sun to the tropic of Cancer.
7. Periodical renewal; as, the return of the seasons or of the year.
8. Repayment; reimbursement in kind or in something equivalent, for money expended or advanced, or for labor. One occupation gives quick returns; in others, the returns are slow. The returns of the cargo were in gold. The farmer has returns in his crops.
9. Profit; advantage. From these few hours we spend in prayer, the return is great. – Taylor.
10. Remittance; payment from a distant place. – Shak.
11. Repayment; retribution; requital. Is no return due from a grateful breast? – Dryden.
12. Act of restoring or giving back; restitution. – South.
13. Either of the adjoining sides of the front of a house or ground plot, is called a return side. – Moxon.
14. In law, the rendering back or delivery of a writ, precept or execution, to the proper officer or court; or the certificate of the officer executing it, indorsed. We call the transmission of the writ to the proper officer or court, a return, and we give the same name to the certificate or official account of the officer's service or proceedings. The sherif or his subordinate officers make return of all writs and precepts. We use the same language for the sending back of a commission with the certificate of the commissioners.
15. A day in bank. The day on which the defendant is ordered to appear in court, and the sherif is to bring in the writ and report his proceedings, is called the return of the writ. – Blackstone.
16. In military and naval affairs, an official account, report or statement rendered to the commander; as, the return of men fit for duty; the return of the number of the sick; the return of provisions, ammunition, &c.

RE-TURN', v.i. [Fr. retourner; re and tourner, to turn, L. torno; It. ritornare; Sp. retornar.]

1. To come or go back to the same place. The gentleman goes from the country to London and returns, or the citizen of London rides into the country and returns. The blood propelled from the heart, passes through the arteries to the extremities of the body, and returns through the veins. Some servants are good to go on errands, but not good to return.
2. To come to the same state; as, to return from bondage to a state of freedom. – Locke.
3. To answer. He said, and thus the queen of heaven return'd. – Pope.
4. To come again; to revisit. Thou to mankind / Be good and friendly still, and oft return. – Milton.
5. To appear or begin again after a periodical revolution. With the year / Seasons return, but not to me returns Day. – Milton.
6. To show fresh signs of mercy. Return, O Lord, deliver my soul. – Ps. vi. To return to God, to return from wickedness, to repent of sin or wandering from duty. – Scripture.

RE-TURN', v.t.

1. To bring, carry or send back; as, to return a borrowed book; to return a hired horse.
2. To repay; as, to return borrowed money.
3. To give in recompense or requital. In any wise, return him a trespass-offering. – 1 Sam. vi. The Lord will return thy wickedness upon thy own head. – 1 Kings ii.
4. To give back in reply; as, to return an answer.
5. To tell, relate or communicate. And Moses returned the words of the people to the Lord. – Exod. xix.
6. To retort; to recriminate. If you are a malicious reader, you return upon me, that I affect to be thought more impartial than I am. – Dryden.
7. To render an account, usually an official account to a superior. Officers of the army and navy return to the commander the number of men in companies, regiments, &c.; they return the number of men sick or capable of duty; they return the quantity of ammunition, provisions, &c.
8. To render back to a tribunal or to an office; as, to return a writ or an execution.
9. To report officially; as, an officer returns his proceedings on the back of a writ or precept.
10. To send; to transmit; to convey. Instead of a ship, he should levy money and return the same to the treasurer for His Majesty's use. – Clarendon.

RE-TURN'A-BLE, a.

1. That may be returned or restored.
2. In law, that is legally to be returned, delivered, given or rendered; as, a writ or precept returnable at a certain day; a verdict returnable to the court; an attachment returnable to the king's bench.

RE-TURN'-DAY, n.

The day when the defendant is to appear in court and the sherif is to return the writ and his proceedings.

RE-TURN'ED, pp.

Restored; given or sent back; repaid; brought or rendered to the proper court or officer.