Retreats

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. To move backward or withdraw from a position or situation ; a secluded or quiet spot used for privacy or solitude ; a time taken away from regular activities for rest or reflection
2. The act of pulling back from an advancing force or withdrawing from engagement ; a peaceful location chosen for relaxation or isolation ; an interval dedicated to rest, meditation, or contemplation
3. Withdrawing or pulling away from conflict or a place ; a calm and private area for seclusion ; a designated period for relaxation, reflection, or spiritual renewal

Etymology: The plural "retreats" simply takes the form of the noun "retreat," so the story is that of the noun, which arrived in English from French and carries a very physical idea at its core: a drawing back. Its ancestor is Latin "retractus," from "retraho," meaning to draw back or withdraw. That same Latin root gave English "retract," and the two words are doublets, meaning they reached English by separate routes from one source. "Retract" came more directly from Latin, while "retreat" passed through Old French "retrait" or "retret" and entered Middle English with the older sense of withdrawing, especially of an army. Over time the word moved from the military sense of falling back in the face of an enemy toward a more peaceful one. A place to which one withdraws for quiet became a retreat, and from there the word came to mean a period set aside for rest, reflection, or spiritual practice. The word has no independent root in English beyond the Latin, so its later meanings grew out of that single image of pulling back.

Synonyms: withdrawals, recesses, respite, sanctuaries, getaways

Antonyms: advances, attacks, assaults, onsets, invasions