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Withdraw
Definitions
- 1 An act of drawing back or removing; a removal, a withdrawal or withdrawing. obsolete
"Indeed one of theſe VVitneſſes vvas over perſvvaded by ſome Perſons, to be out of the vvay, upon G. B.’s Trial; but he came aftervvards, vvith ſorrovv for his vvithdravv, and gave in his Teſtimony: […]"
- 2 Synonym of withdraught (“a dismissal of a lawsuit with prejudice based on a plaintiff's withdrawal of the suit; a retraxit; also, a fine imposed on a plaintiff for such a dismissal”). obsolete
- 1 To draw or pull (something) away or back from its original position or situation. transitive
"VVhy vvithdravveſt thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy boſome."
- 2 remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract wordnet
- 3 To draw or pull (something) away or back from its original position or situation.; To remove (someone or (reflexive, archaic) oneself) from a position or situation; specifically (military), to remove (soldiers) from a battle or position where they are stationed. transitive
"Thou neuer vvithdrevvſt thy ſelfe and vvert ſolitarie, but my Spyrite vvas reproouing and diſputing vvith thee."
- 4 keep away from others wordnet
- 5 To draw or pull (something) away or back from its original position or situation.; To draw or pull (a bolt, curtain, veil, or other object) aside. archaic, transitive
"[S]he was in no mood for sleep; so, putting her light upon the table and withdrawing the little window curtain, she gazed out pensively at the wild night sky."
Show 25 more definitions
- 6 take back what one has said wordnet
- 7 To take away or take back (something previously given or permitted); to remove, to retract. transitive
"I wyl be his father, and he ſhal be my ſonne. And I wyl not withdrawe my mercy from him, as I haue withdrawen it frõ him that was before the[e]: […]"
- 8 make a retreat from an earlier commitment or activity wordnet
- 9 To cause or help (someone) to stop taking an addictive drug or substance; to dry out. transitive
- 10 release from something that holds fast, connects, or entangles wordnet
- 11 To take (one's eyes) off something; to look away. transitive
"The lady looked up; her eyes met those of Mr. Watkins Tottle. She withdrew them in a sweet confusion, and Watkins Tottle did the same—the confusion was mutual."
- 12 lose interest wordnet
- 13 To disregard (something) as belonging to a certain group. figuratively, transitive
"One [poem] by Hercules Rollock on the marriage of Anne of Denmark is better, and equal, a few names withdrawn, to any of the contemporaneous poetry of France."
- 14 pull back or move away or backward wordnet
- 15 To remove (a topic) from discussion or inquiry. figuratively, transitive
- 16 remove (a commodity) from (a supply source) wordnet
- 17 To stop (a course of action, proceedings, etc.) figuratively, transitive
"The question was put that "The Endeavour" be hired for the occasion; Mr. Alexander Briggs moved as an amendment, that the word "Fly" be substituted for the word "Endeavour;" but after some debate consented to withdraw his opposition."
- 18 cause to be returned wordnet
- 19 To take back (a comment, something written, etc.); to recant, to retract. figuratively, transitive
"to withdraw false charges"
- 20 withdraw from active participation wordnet
- 21 To distract or divert (someone) from a course of action, a goal, etc. archaic, obsolete, transitive
"I doe not flie, but aduantagious care, / VVith-drevv me from the ods of multitude, […]"
- 22 retire gracefully wordnet
- 23 To extract (money) from a bank account or other financial deposit. transitive
"VVhatever part of his ſtock a man employs as a capital, he alvvays expects is to be replaced to him vvith a profit. […] VVhenever he employs any part of it in maintaining unproductive hands of any kind, that part is, from that moment, vvithdravvn from his capital, and placed in his ſtock reſerved for immediate conſumption."
- 24 break from a meeting or gathering wordnet
- 25 Chiefly followed by from: to leave a place, someone's presence, etc., to go to another room or place. intransitive
"[The] army togither with the kyng of Scottes and the other Lordes there founde, entred Scotland, and did muche hurte in the country of Galloway, deſtroying towns and all that they found abroade, but the people were fled and withdrawen out of theyr way. And when they had taken their pleaſure, the Kyng of Scottes retourned backe to Carleil."
- 26 Chiefly followed by from: to leave a place, someone's presence, etc., to go to another room or place.; Of soldiers: to leave a battle or position where they are stationed; to retreat. intransitive, specifically
"King A horſe, a horſe, my kingdome for a horſe. / [Sir William] Cateſ[by]. VVithdravv my lord, Ile helpe you to a horſe."
- 27 Chiefly followed by from: to stop taking part in some activity; also, to remove oneself from the company of others, from publicity, etc. intransitive
"I vvill vvithdravv from your Company; retire to the Shades, and perform my Penance of a Thouſand Years."
- 28 To stop talking to or interacting with other people and start thinking thoughts not related to what is happening. intransitive
- 29 To stop taking an addictive drug or substance; to undergo withdrawal. intransitive
"Simon had tried to rob a bank while he was withdrawing, but he had been forced to surrender to the police after they had fired several volleys at him."
- 30 Of a man: to remove the penis from a partner's body orifice before ejaculation; to engage in coitus interruptus. intransitive
"Like a fool, I agreed to let him make love to me as long as he withdrew before he ejaculated and he promised he would, but then he didn't."
Etymology
PIE word *wí From Middle English withdrawen, withdrauen (“to depart, leave, move away; (reflexive) to go away; (reflexive) to leave someone’s service; (often reflexive) to draw back or retreat (from a battlefield or dangerous place), withdraw; to abandon, desert; to go, go forth; to move; of the sea, water, etc.: to (cause to) ebb, recede, subside; to disappear; to slacken, wane; (often reflexive) to cease, stop; to desist, refrain; (reflexive) to go back on, recant; to avoid, eschew; to bring under control, contain, suppress; to curb, curtail; to delay, put off; to demur, refuse; to carry or take away, deprive of, remove; to contract, draw away or in, retract; to deny, refuse; to revoke; to withhold; to divert; to separate; to adopt, borrow, imitate”) [and other forms], from with- (prefix meaning ‘away; back’) + drawen, drauen (“to drag, pull, tow, tug, draw [and other senses]”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰregʰ- (“to drag, pull; to run”)); see further at with- and draw. The English word is analysable as with- + draw.
From Middle English withdrawe (“act of stopping a judicial proceeding”), from withdrawen, withdrauen (verb): see etymology 1.
See also for "withdraw"
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