ret

present singular third person rets · participle present retting · participle past retted · past retted

1. transitiveTo prepare (flax, hemp etc.) for further processing by soaking, which facilitates separation of fibers from the woody parts of the stem.

   the hemp was retted / and soon the retting was done / and swiftly it was hung up / and hurriedly it was dried […].

   1989, Elias Lönnrot, translated by Keith Bosley, The Kalevala, section XLVIII

   1 more example

   the lowland nearly silent except for water-thrushes, the harvested fields, the smell of hops being dried in kilns, flax pulled up and piled in sheaves, in local practice not to be retted till the spring

   2006, Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day, Vintage, published 2007, page 621

alternative ret. · alternative retd

1. abbreviationAbbreviation of retired.

plural rets

1. abbreviationclippinghistoricalmediaClipping of reiteration.

plural RETs

1. abbreviationcountableinitialismuncountableInitialism of road equivalent tariff.
2. abbreviationcountableinitialismuncountableInitialism of rational emotive therapy.