rɪˈtri:v v. & n. --v.tr. 1 a
regain possession of. b
recover by
investigation or
effort of
memory. 2 a
restore to
knowledge or
recall to
mind. b
obtain (information stored in a
computer etc.). 3 (of a dog)
find and bring in (killed or wounded game etc.). 4 (foll. by from) recover or
rescue (esp.
from a
bad state). 5 restore to a flourishing
state;
revive. 6 repair or set
right (a
loss or
error etc.) (managed to retrieve
the situation). --n. the
possibility of
recovery (beyond retrieve). øøretrievable adj. retrieval n. [ME f. OF retroevestressed stem of retrover (as
RE-,
trover find)]