ret

v. to soak plants like flax or hemp in water so the fibers can be separated easily.

v. to soak flax, hemp, or jute in water to soften the plant tissue and facilitate the separation of the fibers from the woody stalk.

“The farmers would ret the flax in the river for several days.”

“Traditional methods required workers to ret the hemp in stagnant pools, a process that produced a distinctive and pungent odour throughout the valley.”

Technical · Archaic

adj. a short way to write 'retired', often used after a person's name or job title.

adj. a standard abbreviation for 'retired', frequently employed in formal directories, military contexts, or professional listings.

“The guest speaker was Capt. Miller (Ret.), who served for thirty years.”

“In the alumni directory, the suffix 'Ret.' distinguishes former faculty members who maintain an emeritus relationship with the university.”

Formal

n. an old word for the second side of a sheet of paper being printed.

n. a historical clipping of 'reiteration', referring to the second side of a sheet to be printed.

“The printer checked the ret to ensure the ink was dry.”

“Early manual press operators had to be careful when aligning the ret to ensure the text backed up perfectly with the first side.”

Archaic · Technical