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To continue to hold; to keep in possession; not to lose, part with, or dismiss; to retrain from departure, escape, or the like. "Thy shape invisibleretain." Shak. Be obedient, and retain Unalterably firm his love entire. Milton. An executor may retain a debt due to him from the testator. Blackstone.…

Unharmed. R. L. Stevenson. He, too, . . . is to be dismissed scathless. Sir W. Scott.

the timberheads. D. Kemp. To lay on the shelf, to lay aside as unnecessary or useless; to dismiss; to discard.

To place on a shelf. Hence: To lay on the shelf; to put aside; to dismiss from service; to put off indefinitely; as, to shelve an officer; to shelve a claim.

ny inconsistency, unfitness, absurdity, or impropriety, as in deeds or manners. Cæsar, by dismissing his guards and retaining his power, committed a dangerous solecism in politics. C. Middleton. The idea of having committed the slightest solecism in politeness was agony to him. Sir W. Scott.

To allow the prosecution of; to admit as valid; to sanction; to continue; not to dismiss or abate; as, the court sustained the action or suit.

within; as, to pass through a door; to go through an avenue. Through the gate of ivory he dismissed His valiant offspring. Dryden.

all, summon, or notify, by tolling or ringing. When hollow murmurs of their evening bells Dismiss the sleepy swains, and toll them to their cells. Dryden.

o be able to influence at pleasure. -- To turn aside, to avert. -- To turn away. (a) To dismiss from service; to discard; as, to turn away a servant. (b) To avert; as, to turn away wrath or evil. -- To turn back. (a) To give back; to return. We turn not back the silks upon the merchants, When we have soiled them. Sh…

fall or err; fallible. Soon bent his bow, uncertain in his aim. Dryden. Whistling slings dismissed the uncertain stone. Gay.

A leaf insect. See under Leaf. -- Walking papers, or Walking ticket, an order to leave; dismissal, as from office. [Colloq.] Bartlett. -- Walking stick. (a) A stick or staff carried in the hand for hand for support or amusement when walking; a cane. (b) (Zoöl.) A stick insect; -- called also walking straw. See Illus…

courteous action It waves you to a more removed ground. Shak. She spoke, and bowing waved Dismissal. Tennyson.

miss his dog; we stood still till he had whistled him up. Addison. To whistle off. (a) To dismiss by a whistle; -- a term in hawking. "AS a long-winged hawk when he is first whistled off the fist, mounts aloft." Burton. (b) Hence, in general, to turn loose; to abandon; to dismiss. I 'ld whistle her off, and let her dow…