ret

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Pronunciation

• (British, America) IPA: /ɹɛt/

Verb

ret (rets, present participle retting; past and past participle retted)

1. (transitive) To prepare (flax, hemp etc.) for further processing by soaking, which facilitates separation of fibers from the woody parts of the stem.
   • 1989, Keith Bosley, translating Elias Lönnrot, The Kalevala, XLVIII:

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

   • 2006, Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day, Vintage 2007, page 621:

     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

Translations

• French: rouir
• German: rotten
• Italian: macerare

Adjective

1. retired

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