Retrieval

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈtɹiːvəl/

Definitions

1. The act of recovering or bringing something back to its original place or state ; the process of searching for and obtaining stored data or information
2. The action of reclaiming or collecting an item that was lost or stored elsewhere ; the method of accessing and retrieving data from memory or storage
3. Recovering an object or item after it has been removed or lost ; acquiring information by searching through stored records or databases

Etymology: The verb it comes from, "retrieve," once meant simply "to find again." It descends from Old French "retrover," which is also the source of "trove," as in "treasure trove," so the two words are close relatives. Over time the sense narrowed toward recovering something that had been lost or taken away. The dog breed "retriever" comes from the same verb. Gundogs were bred to bring shot game back to hunters, so the name describes the dog's job. The sense of "getting something back" carries that same idea of recovery. "Retrieval" is a noun formed in English by adding the suffix "-al" to "retrieve," as with "arrival" from "arrive" and "denial" from "deny." It names the act or process of getting something back, and it is most often used for information, as in computing and memory, where data is located and brought back for use.

Synonyms: recovery, regaining, reclamation