retreatern.
/rᵻˈtriːtə/, U.S. /rəˈtridər/, /riˈtridər/ 1. A person who retreats (in various senses of retreat v.1).
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > warrior > defeated or conquered > [noun] > one who retreats
withdrawer1475
retirer1575
retreater1643
1643 Prince Rupert's beating up Rebels' Quarters 8 He stopt and drew the Retreaters up into a body.
1648 W. Montagu Miscellanea Spiritualia xviii. §iii. 335 These retreaters may for some time live quietly.
1741 S. Boyse in G. Ogle et al. tr. G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales II. 45 The Shadow in the last Retreater's seen; As melts the Snow-Ball by degrees away, So drop'd the loose Deserters of each Day!
1749 A. Hill in tr. Voltaire Meropé To Rdr. 4 I have so long been a Retreater from the World.
1812 Examiner 14 Dec. 799/1 The Russians cannot bring the retreaters into any great..scrape.
1859 A. H. Clough tr. Plutarch Lives III. 319 Those who were still disembarking and coming forward falling foul of the retreaters, came into conflict with their own party.
1919 Times 18 Aug. 10/1 The retreaters down Butcher-street also smashed as they went.
2002 Australian (Nexis) 15 Aug. 10 These young diggers were ill-prepared for the enormity of their task, given up for dead and rejected as hopeless retreaters by their leaders.
2. = retreatant n.
ΘΚΠ
society > faith > aspects of faith > spirituality > contemplation or meditation > [noun] > period of > one who takes part in
retreatant1860
retreater1889
1889 Pall Mall Gaz. 2 Oct. 6/1 Many of the ‘retreaters’ are ladies who play no small part in London society.
1977 R. Barnard Blood Brotherhood i. 7 A taxi..does the five-mile journey for..a solitary Anglican coming for a..fortnight's retreat... Most of the retreaters are solidly middle-class.
1996 Independent 23 Dec. i. 4/4 The retreaters will rise to a meditation at 7.30am, followed by a vegetarian breakfast, a work period, more meditation, and then supper.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1643