different between retention vs modesty

English

Etymology

From Middle English retencioun, borrowed from Latin retenti?, retenti?nis, from retentus, the perfect passive participle of retine? (“retain”) (from re- (“back, again”) + tene? (“hold, keep”)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???t?n??n/

Noun

retention (countable and uncountable, plural retentions)

1. The act of retaining or something retained
   • 1599, William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, II. iv. 95:

     No woman's heart / So big, to hold so much; they lack retention.

2. The act or power of remembering things
3. A memory; what is retained in the mind
4. (medicine) The involuntary withholding of urine and faeces
5. (medicine) The length of time an individual remains in treatment
6. (obsolete) That which contains something, as a tablet; a means of preserving impressions.
   • 1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet 122,^[1]

     Thy gift, thy tables, are within my brain

     Full character’d with lasting memory,

     […]

     That poor retention could not so much hold,

     Nor need I tallies thy dear love to score;

7. (obsolete) The act of withholding; restraint; reserve.
   • 1599, William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, V. i. 79:

     His life I gave him, and did thereto add / My love without retention or restraint,

8. (obsolete) A place of custody or confinement.
9. (law) The right to withhold a debt, or of retaining property until a debt due to the person claiming the right is duly paid; a lien.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Erskine to this entry?)

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Derived terms

• retention tank

Related terms

Translations

Anagrams

• enter into, intertone, tontineer

English

Etymology

From Middle French modestie, from Latin modestia

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m?d.?.sti/

Noun

modesty (usually uncountable, plural modesties)

1. The quality of being modest; having a limited and not overly high opinion of oneself and one's abilities.

   • At her invitation he outlined for her the succeeding chapters with terse military accuracy?; and what she liked best and best understood was avoidance of that false modesty which condescends, turning technicality into pabulum.

2. Moderate behaviour; reserve.
3. (specifically) Pudency, avoidance of sexual explicitness.

Antonyms

• immodesty
• extravagance
• impudence

Derived terms

• false modesty
• modesty bag
• modesty bit
• modesty board
• modesty panel
• modesty piece

Related terms

• modestly

Translations