place (flax, hemp, or jute) in liquid so as to promote loosening of the fibers from the woody tissue
"Before spinning, the workers soaked the harvested flax in water to ret and separate its soft fibers from the tough woody core."
To prepare (flax, hemp etc.) for further processing by soaking, which facilitates separation of fibers from the woody parts of the stem.
"The workers spent hours retting the harvested flax in stagnant ponds to loosen the fibers before spinning them into thread."
In plain English: To ret means to go back and forth between two places repeatedly, usually by driving there and then immediately returning home without staying for long.
"The angry customer decided to ret from the store after being rude to him."
Usage: Ret is an archaic term specifically used in agriculture to describe soaking flax or hemp stems before retting them; it does not apply to modern everyday contexts outside of historical textile discussions. Avoid using this word when referring to general cleaning, as its meaning is limited strictly to fiber preparation processes.
retired
"The former champion tennis player now lives quietly as a retired athlete in Florida."
The word "ret" comes from Middle English and likely originated in Old Norse, where it meant to soften food by soaking it in water. Its ultimate roots trace back to a Proto-Germanic verb meaning "to make mellow or soft."