A musical director was having a lot of trouble with one drummer. He talked and talked and talked with the drummer, but his performance simply didn"t improve.
Finally, before the whole orchestra, he said, "When a musician just can"t handle his instrument and doesn"t improve when given help, they take away the instrument, and give him two sticks, and make him a drummer."
A stage whisper was heard from the percussion section: "And if he can"t handle even that, they take away one of his sticks and make him a conductor."
v. - (often refl., usu. Foll. By from) check or hold in; keep in check, under control, or within bounds.
- repress, keep down.
- confine, imprison. [latin restringo -strict-]
RESTRICT
v. - confine, limit.
- withhold from general circulation or disclosure. restriction n. [latin: related to *restrain]
RETAINER
n. - fee for securing a person's services.
- faithful servant (esp. Old retainer).
- reduced rent paid to retain unoccupied accommodation.
- person or thing that retains.
RETARDED
adj. Backward in mental or physical development.
RETIRING
adj. Shy; fond of seclusion.
RETRENCH
v. - cut down expenses; introduce economies.
- reduce the amount of (costs). retrenchment n. [french: related to *trench]
RETRIEVE
—v. (-ving) 1 a regain possession of. B recover by investigation or effort of memory.
- obtain (information stored in a computer etc.).
- (of a dog) find and bring in (killed or wounded game etc.).
- (foll. By from) rescue (esp. From a bad state).
- restore to a flourishing state; revive.
- repair or set right (a loss or error etc.) (managed to retrieve the situation). —n. Possibility of recovery (beyond retrieve). retrievable adj. Retrieval n. [french trouver find]
RETURNEE
n. Person who returns home from abroad, esp. After war service.
REVEILLE
n. Military waking-signal. [french reveillez wake up]
REVEREND
adj. (esp. As the title of a clergyman) deserving reverence. [latin reverendus: related to *revere]
To add to the dictionary krossvordista new word or its definition to an existing word, click on the "Add a word or definition of" fill opened form and click "to send".