retrieve

Word family

Related topics: Computers

re·trieve /rɪˈtriːv/ verb [transitiveT]

1 formalGET to find something and bring it back 找回；收回，取回 → recover

She bent down to retrieve her earring.

她俯身去捡回耳环。

retrieve something from something

It took four days to retrieve all the bodies from the crash.

花了四天时间才找回所有遇难者的尸体。

2 technicalTD to get back information that has been stored in the memory of a computer 检索〔储存于计算机的信息〕

The new version of the software automatically retrieves digital information.

新版软件会自动检索数字信息。

3 retrieve a situation BETTER/RECOVERED British EnglishBrE to make a situation satisfactory again after there has been a serious mistake or problem 挽回局面

The general made one last desperate effort to retrieve the situation.

将军为挽回局面而孤注一掷。

—retrievable adjectiveadj

Examples from the Corpus

retrieve• If you want to retrieve a file from the computer press FIND and then enter the name of the file you want.• Zhong quickly retrieved a fist-sized chunk and rushed it to a frozen-food warehouse for safekeeping.• With a peculiar shiver of fear, he stooped to retrieve his spear.• When you learn how to search out and retrieve information you are in possession of a golden key to doing successful public relations.• I had left my bag at the railroad station and went back to retrieve it.• Can we retrieve our culture from the product pushers?• She'd agreed to meet Matthew half way, and retrieve the children.• She bent down and retrieved the map from under the car seat.• With some newsreaders, you might need to retrieve the message body and decode in two stages.• Right now we're concentrating on retrieving the spacecraft.

retrieve something from something• Divers retrieved a body from the icy river on Wednesday.

From Longman Business Dictionary

retrievere·trieve /rɪˈtriːv/ verb [transitiveT]

1COMPUTING to get back information that has been stored in a computer

The application stores andretrieves data according to the user’s requirements.

Toretrieve afile, double click on it using the mouse.

2if a company retrieves money, costs, or losses, it succeeds in obtaining an amount of money equal to the amount it spent or lostSYN RECOUP

The bank will have trouble retrieving anything like the value of its loans.

—retrieval noun [uncountableU]

efficient information retrieval

Origin retrieve

(1400-1500) Old French retrover “to find again”, from trover “to find”