retract-v; 4 Senses

Sense Number 1: Formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief; retract a statement.

Examples:
He retracted his earlier statements about his religion.
She retracted her beliefs about God and the Devil.
When the pilots refused the offer, the company retracted it.
He retracted his statements from the briefing.

Mappings:
VerbNet: remove-10.1
FrameNet: NP
PropBank: retract.01
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 1

Sense Number 2: Physically pull away from a source of disgust or fear.

Commentary:
NOTE: Compare to Sense 4; in Sense 2, an object of disgust or fear MUST BE EXPLICIT.

Examples:
She retracted from the former object of her desires.
He retracted his hand from the snake.

Mappings:
VerbNet: NM
FrameNet: NP
PropBank: NM
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 2

Sense Number 3: Use a surgical instrument to hold open the edges of a wound or an organ.

Commentary:
NOTE: May appear in the intransitive.

Examples:
She retracted the patient's wound.

Mappings:
VerbNet: NM
FrameNet: NP
PropBank: NM
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 3

Sense Number 4: Pull inward or towards a center, as towards the body.

Commentary:
NOTE: Compare to Sense 2; in Sense 4, there is no external object (of disgust or fear).

Examples:
The pilot retracted the landing gear.
The cat retracted its claws.

Mappings:
VerbNet: NM
FrameNet: NP
PropBank: NM
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 4