(also tr) to give up or to cause (a person) to give up his work, a post, etc, esp on reaching pensionable age (in Britain and Australia usually 65 for men, 60 for women)
2.
to go away, as into seclusion, for recuperation, etc
3.
to go to bed
4.
to recede or disappear: the sun retired behind the clouds
5.
to withdraw from a sporting contest, esp because of injury
6.
(also tr) to pull back (troops, etc) from battle or an exposed position or (of troops, etc) to fall back
7.
(tr)
a. to remove (bills, bonds, shares, etc) from circulation by taking them up and paying for them
b. to remove (money) from circulation
[C16: from French retirer, from Old French re- + tirer to pull, draw]
1533, of armies, "to retreat," from M.Fr. retirer "to withdraw (something)," from re- "back" + O.Fr. tirer "to draw" (see tirade). Meaning "to withdraw to some place for the sake of seclusion" is recorded from 1538; sense of "leave an occupation" first attested 1648 (implied
in retirement). Meaning "to leave company and go to bed" is from 1670. Baseball sense of "to put out" is recorded from 1874. Retiree is attested from 1945.