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Vinony

retainer

noun

  1. device for holding teeth in place
  2. contract for future professional work
  3. amount paid in a retainer agreement
  4. household servant
L326725 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈteɪn.ə/ / /ɹɪˈteɪn.ɚ/ / /ɹəˈteɪn.ɚ/

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree English retain Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzijos Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English retainer From retain + -er.

  1. Any thing or person that retains.
  2. A dependent or follower of someone of rank.

    “If they possessed the means to marshal labour, pile up food resources and provender armies of year-round retainers, what sort of royalty would consciously elect not to do so.”

  3. A paid servant, especially one who has been employed for many years.

    “Of all this family lore I knew but little and vaguely; only what is to be gathered from the fireside talk of old retainers in the nursery.”

  4. A fee one pays to reserve the other's time for services.

    “This lawyer charges a retainer for his work.”

  5. A device that holds teeth in position after orthodontic treatment.

    “You give me head / It makes it worse / Take out your fuckin' retainer / Put it in your purse”

  6. A retaining valve.