retinue - Definitions from Dictionary.com

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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

ret·i·nue

Audio Help [ret-n-oo, -yoo] Pronunciation Key

–noun

a body of retainers in attendance upon an important personage; suite.

[Origin: 1325–75; ME retinue < MF, n. use of fem. ptp. of retenir to retain

]

—Related forms

ret·i·nued, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
retinue

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

ret·i·nue Audio Help (rět'n-ōō', -yōō') Pronunciation Key
n. The retainers or attendants accompanying a high-ranking person.

[Middle English retenue, from Old French, from feminine past participle of retenir, to retain; see retain.]

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
retinue

c.1375, from O.Fr. retenue "group of followers, state of service," lit. "that which is retained," from fem. pp. of retenir "to employ, to retain, hold back" (see retain).

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

retinue
noun
the group following and attending to some important person [syn: cortege]

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
retinue [ˈretinjuː] noun

the servants, officials etc who accompany a person of importance

Arabic:	حاشِيَه، مُرافِقون
Chinese (Simplified):	（高级官员的）随行人员
Chinese (Traditional):	(高級官員的)隨行人員
Czech:	svita, družina
Danish:	følge
Dutch:	gevolg
Estonian:	saatjaskond
Finnish:	seurue
French:	suite
German:	das Gefolge
Greek:	ακολουθία
Hungarian:	kíséret
Icelandic:	fylgdarlið
Indonesian:	pengiring
Italian:	seguito, scorta

Japanese:	お供
Korean:	수행원, 시종
Latvian:	svīta; pavadoņi
Lithuanian:	palyda
Norwegian:	følge, tjenerstab
Polish:	świta
Portuguese (Brazil):	comitiva
Portuguese (Portugal):	comitiva
Romanian:	suită
Russian:	свита
Slovak:	suita
Slovenian:	spremstvo
Spanish:	séquito, comitiva
Swedish:	följe, svit
Turkish:	maiyet

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Retinue

Re*tain"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Retained; p. pr. & vb. n. Retaining.] [F. retainir, L. retinere; pref. re- re- + tenere to hold, keep. See Tenable, and cf. Rein of a bridle, Retention, Retinue.]

1. To continue to hold; to keep in possession; not to lose, part with, or dismiss; to retrain from departure, escape, or the like. "Thy shape invisibleretain." --Shak.

Be obedient, and retain Unalterably firm his love entire. --Milton.

An executor may retain a debt due to him from the testator. --Blackstone.

2. To keep in pay; to employ by a preliminary fee paid; to hire; to engage; as, to retain a counselor.

A Benedictine convent has now retained the most learned father of their order to write in its defense. --Addison.

3. To restrain; to prevent. [Obs.] --Sir W. Temple.

Retaining wall (Arch. & Engin.), a wall built to keep any movable backing, or a bank of sand or earth, in its place; -- called also retain wall.

Syn: To keep; hold; retrain. See Keep.

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