# retractor

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɹɪˈtɹæktɚ/ · frequency rank #77,144

## Definitions
1. One who, or that which, retracts.
2. In breech-loading firearms, a device for withdrawing a cartridge shell from the barrel.
3. A chess puzzle in which a number of moves are retracted and the solver is challenged to reach an alternate outcome.
4. A surgical instrument used to hold apart the edges of an incision or wound.
5. A bandage to protect soft parts of the body from injury by a surgical saw.
6. A muscle serving to draw in any part.

## Etymology
From retract + -or.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/retractor