Retraction

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Retraction \Re*trac"tion\ (r[-e]*tr[=a]k"sh[u^]n), n. [Cf. F.
     r['e]traction, L. retractio a drawing back, hesitation.]
     1. The act of retracting, or drawing back; the state of being
        retracted; as, the retraction of a cat's claws.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. The act of withdrawing something advanced, stated,
        claimed, or done; declaration of change of opinion;
        recantation.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Other men's insatiable desire of revenge hath wholly
              beguiled both church and state of the benefit of all
              my either retractions or concessions. --Eikon
                                                    Basilike.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Physiol.)
        (a) The act of retracting or shortening; as, the
            retraction of a severed muscle; the retraction of a
            sinew.
        (b) The state or condition of a part when drawn back, or
            towards the center of the body.
            [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  retraction
       n 1: a disavowal or taking back of a previous assertion [syn: {abjuration},
             {recantation}]
       2: the act of pulling or holding or drawing a part back; "the
          retraction of the landing gear"; "retraction of the
          foreskin"

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  112 Moby Thesaurus words for "retraction":
     abandonment, abjuration, abjurement, abolishment, abolition,
     abrogation, absolute contradiction, annulment, attrition, cancel,
     canceling, cancellation, cassation, cession, contradiction,
     contrary assertion, contravention, controversion, countering,
     countermand, counterorder, crossing, curtailment, cut, cutting,
     decrease, decrement, defeasance, denial, depletion, depreciation,
     derogation, detraction, diminution, dip, disaffirmation,
     disallowance, disavowal, disclaimer, disclamation, disowning,
     disownment, disparagement, dispensation, disposal, disposition,
     disproof, dumping, expatriation, extraction, forgoing, forswearing,
     gainsaying, getting rid of, giving up, impairment, impugnment,
     invalidation, lessening, letting go, nullification, palinode,
     palinody, recall, recantation, recedence, receding, recession,
     reduction, refutation, release, relinquishment, remission, renege,
     reneging, renouncement, renunciation, repeal, repudiation,
     rescinding, rescindment, rescission, resignation, retirement,
     retractation, retractility, retreat, retrenchment, retrocedence,
     reversal, revocation, revoke, revokement, riddance, sacrifice,
     setting aside, shortening, shrinkage, surrender, suspension,
     swearing off, truncation, unsaying, vacation, vacatur, voidance,
     voiding, waiver, waiving, withdrawal, write-off, yielding