I. -nə(r) noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English reteiner, probably from Middle French retenir to retain (vb. taken as noun)
1.
a. : the act of withholding what one has in his hands by virtue of some right (as where a creditor pays his own claim out of the debtor's property that has come into his hands as representative of the debtor)
b.
(1) : the act of a client by which he engages the services of a lawyer, counselor, or adviser
(2) : the document expressing such engagement or the authority so conferred
c. : a fee paid to a lawyer to maintain a cause or to a professional adviser for advice or for a claim upon his services in case of need — called also retaining fee ; see general retainer
2. : engagement for a position or job : employment
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: retain + -er
1. : one that retains : maintainer
2. : one that is retained : a person attached or owing service to a household : one that serves a person of high position or rank : dependent , servant
an old family retainer
civil affairs were belatedly put into the hands of native retainers of the French — R.H.Rovere
recruited from the landowning class and their retainers — American Scholar
broadly : employee
old civil service retainers
3. : a civilian employee of a military camp or unit
retainers and persons accompanying or serving with the armies of the United States in the field — U.S. Manual for Courts-Martial
4. : any of various devices used for holding something: as
a. : a cage or frame for keeping the balls or rollers in a ball or roller bearing properly spaced
b. : a rebound clip in a leaf spring
c. : a pressure valve on a railroad car for retaining part of the brake cylinder pressure to aid in slowing the train on a long grade while increasing the brake pipe pressure to recharge the auxiliary reservoirs
d. : the part of a bridge or other dental replacement by which it is made fast to adjacent natural teeth