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Active power or movement; spring. [A Gallicism] [Obs.] Some . . . know the resorts and falls of business that can not sink into the main of it. Bacon.

Inactive; sluggish. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

To cause to retire; specifically, to designate as no longer qualified for active service; to place on the retired list; as, to retire a military or naval officer.

Withdrawn from active duty or business; as, a retired officer; a retired physician. Retired flank (Fort.), a flank bent inward toward the rear of the work. -- Retired list (Mil. & Naval), a list of officers, who, by reason of advanced age or other disability, are relieved from active service, but still receive a speci…

a board of officers who consider and report upon the alleged incapacity of an officer for active service. -- Retiring pension, a pension granted to a public officer on his retirement from office or service.

Having reference to what is past; affecting things past; retroactive; as, a retrospective law. Inflicting death by a retrospective enactment. Macaulay.

One who, or that which, reverts. An active promoter in making the East Saxons converts, or rather reverts, to the faith. Fuller.

ne part of the body to another. It resembles derivation, but is usually applied to a more active form of counter irritation.

Having power; active; nimble. [Obs.] What! I am rife a little yet. J. Webster. -- Rife"ly, adv. -- Rife"ness, n.

Growing; advancing to adult years and to the state of active life; as, the rising generation.

lor, the color of a rose; pink; hence, a beautiful hue or appearance; fancied beauty, attractiveness, or promise.

reater or less extent, or splitting up sugar into alcohol and carbonic acid. They are the active agents in producing fermentation of wine, beer, etc. Saccharomyces cerevisiæ is the yeast of sedimentary beer. Also called Torula.

A flight of fancy, liveliness, wit, or the like; a flashing forth of a quick and active mind. The unaffected mirth with which she enjoyed his sallies. Sir W. Scott.

A mixture of salt, coarse meal lime, etc., attractive to pigeons.

Characterized by abundance and active circulation of blood; as, a sanguine bodily temperament.

To make poignant; to give zest, flavor or interest to; to set off; to vary and render attractive. Then fell she to sauce her desires with threatenings. Sir P. Sidney.

Pleasure; delight; attractiveness. [Obs.] She shall no savor have therein but lite. Chaucer.

Sitting; inactive; quiet. [R.]

Inactive; motionless; sluggish; hence, calm; tranquil. [R.] "The sedentary earth." Milton. The soul, considered abstractly from its passions, is of a remiss, sedentary nature. Spectator.

The quality or state of being self-active; self-action.