- to keep possession of.
- to continue to use, practice, etc.: to retain an old custom.
- to continue to hold or have: to retain a prisoner in custody; a cloth that retains its color.
- to keep in mind; remember.
- to hold in place or position.
- to engage, especially by payment of a preliminary fee: to retain a lawyer.
- to keep in the body, especially abnormally; fail to eliminate: I was referred to a specialty clinic and they discovered that I was retaining urine.
- to keep in one's possession
- to be able to hold or contain
- (of a person) to be able to remember (information, facts, etc) without difficulty
- to hold in position
- to keep for one's future use, as by paying a retainer or nominal charge
- to engage the services of (a barrister) by payment of a preliminary fee
- (in selling races) to buy back a winner that one owns when it is auctioned after the race
- (of racehorse trainers) to pay an advance fee to (a jockey) so as to have prior or exclusive claims upon his services throughout the season
