withdraw
Meanings
- 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.
- To draw or pull (a bolt, curtain, veil, or other object) aside.
- To take away or take back (something previously given or permitted); to remove, to retract.
- To cause or help (someone) to stop taking an addictive drug or substance; to dry out.
- To take (one's eyes) off something; to look away.
- To disregard (something) as belonging to a certain group.
- To remove (a topic) from discussion or inquiry.
- To stop (a course of action, proceedings, etc.)
- To take back (a comment, something written, etc.); to recant, to retract.
- To distract or divert (someone) from a course of action, a goal, etc.
- To extract (money) from a bank account or other financial deposit.
- An act of drawing back or removing; a removal, a withdrawal or withdrawing.
- 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”).
Pronunciation
Word forms
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.