retire

Etymology 1

From Middle French retirer (“draw back”), from prefix re- (“back”), + verb tirer (“draw, pull”), from Old French tirer, tirier (“to draw out, arrange, adorn”), from tire, tiere (“row, rank, order, dress”) of Germanic origin, akin to Old English and Old Saxon Old Saxon tīr (“fame, glory, ornament”), Old English tīer (“rank, row”), Old High German ziari, zēri (“ornament”), German German Zier (“ornament, adornment”), zieren (“to adorn”). More at tier.

verb

1. (intransitive) To stop working on a permanent basis, usually because of old age or illness.
   Having made a large fortune, he retired.
   He wants to retire at 55.
   She decided to retire from her banking job due to stress.
   Green will never forget "that was the day I retired - the absolute crowning event of my life and I was very proud of that. September 21 2022, Chris Green tells Nick Brodrick, “It's absolutely my favourite train”, in RAIL, number 966, page 37
2. (transitive, sometimes reflexive) To withdraw; to take away.
   As when the sun is present all the year, / And never doth retire his golden ray. 1592, John Davies, The Original, Nature, and Immortality of the Soul
3. (transitive) To cease use or production of something.
   The steamship made thousands of trips over several decades before it was retired by the shipping company.
   When a hurricane becomes so deadly or destructive that future use would be insensitive, officials may retire the name of the hurricane.
   Only now, due to the COVID-19-associated drop in traffic, are they being retired with 12 of the 30 trains moved to Landore (Swansea) for warm storage. May 20 2020, John Crosse, “Soon to be gone... but never forgotten”, in Rail, page 63
4. (transitive) To withdraw from circulation, or from the market; to take up and pay.
   The central bank retired those notes five years ago.
5. (transitive) To cause to retire; specifically, to designate as no longer qualified for active service; to place on the retired list.
   The board retired the old major.
   How had it felt, at 28, to be the hottest young actor in town? He Richard Gere] grinned. “It was great having the attention,” he said. “I thought: ‘This is it! I’ve done it! I’m going to retire my father. I’m putting money away for college for my sisters,’ the whole thing. It’s incredibly euphorious. All of a sudden the rehearsal period of your life is over, and your future has arrived. It’s liberating.” 27 November 1988, “How Richard Gere Learned To Reach Out”, in Parade (The Spokesman-Review), page 10, column 3
6. (intransitive, cricket, of a batsman) To voluntarily stop batting before being dismissed so that the next batsman can bat.
   Jones retired in favour of Smith.
7. (transitive, baseball, of a fielder) To make a play which results in a runner or the batter being out, either by means of a put out, fly out or strikeout.
   Jones retired Smith 6-3.
8. (intransitive) To go back or return; to withdraw or retreat, especially from public view; to go into privacy.
   I will retire to the study.
   to retire from the world
   to retire from the public eye
9. (intransitive) To retreat from action or danger; to withdraw for safety or pleasure.
   to retire from battle
   The regiment retired from the fray after the Major was killed.
10. (intransitive) To recede; to fall or bend back.
    Past the point, the shore retires into a sequence of coves.
11. (intransitive) To go to bed.
    I will retire for the night.
    In the daytime the beds are made up but completely out of sight, giving the passenger a comfortable little private room; as the time for retiring comes, after preparing for rest in the same spacious conditions, he is able, practically at a touch, to pull the bed into position ready for use. 1944 November and December, “"Duplex Roomette" Sleeping Cars”, in Railway Magazine, page 324

noun

1. (rare) The act of retiring, or the state of being retired.
2. A place to which one retires.
3. (dated) A call sounded on a bugle, announcing to skirmishers that they are to retire, or fall back.
   At the retire, the cavalry fell back.

Etymology 2

From re- + tire.

verb

1. (transitive, American spelling) To fit (a vehicle) with new tires.