Adjacent Words

Retainer definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

RETA'INER, n.
1. One who retains; as an executor, who retains a debt due from the testator.
2. One who is kept in service; an attendant; as the retainers of the ancient princes and nobility.
3. An adherent; a dependant; a hanger on.
4. A servant, not a domestic, but occasionally attending and wearing his master's livery.
5. Among lawyers, a fee paid to engage a lawyer or counselor to maintain a cause.
6. The act of keeping dependents, or being in dependence.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a fee charged in advance to retain the services of someone [syn: retainer, consideration]
2: a person working in the service of another (especially in the household) [syn: servant, retainer]
3: a dental appliance that holds teeth (or a prosthesis) in position after orthodontic treatment

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Date: 1540 1. a. a person attached or owing service to a household; especially servant b. employee 2. one that retains 3. a device or structure that holds something in place: as a. the part of a dental replacement (as a bridge) by which it is made fast to adjacent natural teeth b. a dental appliance used to hold teeth in correct position especially following orthodontic treatment II. noun Etymology: Middle English reteigner, literally, retention, from Anglo-French, from reteigner, verb Date: 1775 1. the act of a client by which the services of a lawyer, counselor, or adviser are engaged 2. a fee paid to a lawyer or professional adviser for advice or services or for a claim on services when needed

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 a person or thing that retains. 2 Law a fee for retaining a barrister etc. 3 a hist. a dependant or follower of a person of rank. b joc. an old and faithful friend or servant ( esp. old retainer). 4 Brit. a reduced rent paid to retain accommodation during a period of non-occupancy.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Retainer Re*tain"er, n. 1. One who, or that which, retains. 2. One who is retained or kept in service; an attendant; an adherent; a hanger-on. 3. Hence, a servant, not a domestic, but occasionally attending and wearing his master's livery. --Cowell. 4. (Law) (a) The act of a client by which he engages a lawyer or counselor to manage his cause. (b) The act of withholding what one has in his hands by virtue of some right. (c) A fee paid to engage a lawyer or counselor to maintain a cause, or to prevent his being employed by the opposing party in the case; -- called also retaining fee. --Bouvier. --Blackstone.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(retainers) A retainer is a fee that you pay to someone in order to make sure that they will be available to do work for you if you need them to. Liz was being paid a regular monthly retainer. N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Attendant, adherent, dependant, follower, hanger-on, servant. 2. Retaining fee, preliminary fee.

Moby Thesaurus

account, adherent, allowance, appendage, assessment, bill, blackmail, blood money, dangler, dependent, emolument, fee, follower, footing, hanger-on, heeler, henchman, hush money, initiation fee, man, mileage, reckoning, retaining fee, satellite, scot, servant, shadow, stipend, tagtail, tribute, ward heeler