Meaning

verb formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure

verb pull away from a source of disgust or fear

verb use a surgical instrument to hold open (the edges of a wound or an organ)

originPartly: * from retract (verb) (see etymology 1); and * from Late Latin retractus (“a pulling back, retreat; refuge”), from Latin retractus (“withdrawn”), the perfect passive participle of Latin retrahō (“to draw or pull back, withdraw; to bring back; to compel to turn back; to recall; to get back, recover; to hold back, restrain, withhold; to remove, take away; to bring to light again; (Late…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0