Etymology

retire

re·tire
R1E1T1I1R1E1

Today it means: To stop working on a permanent basis, usually because of old age or illness. Full definition →

Middle French retirer ← Old French retirer ← Vulgar Latin *tīrāre
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retire · verb, noun1

  1. Vulgar Latin · derived from*tīrāre
  2. Old French · derived fromretirer
  3. Middle French · derived fromretirer“draw back”
  4. English todayretire

From Middle French retirer (“draw back”), from Old French retirer, built from re- (“back”) + tirer (“draw, pull”), the latter from Vulgar Latin *tīrāre, of highly uncertain origin.

retire · verb2

  1. Proto-Italic*wre-
  2. Latinre-
  3. Old Frenchre-
  4. Middle Englishre-
  5. Englishre-
  6. Proto-West Germanic*teuʀōn
  7. Old Englishtēorian
  8. Middle Englishtiren
  9. Englishtire
  10. English todayretire

From re- + tire.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.