A man speaks frantically into the phone, "My wife is pregnant, and her contractions are only two minutes apart!"
"Is this her first child?" the doctor queries.
"No, you idiot!" the man shouts. "This is her husband!"
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]
