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with·draw·al (wĭth-drôəl, wĭth-)
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n.
1. The act or process of withdrawing, as:
a. A retreat or retirement: the dinner guests' withdrawal to the den.
b. The removal of people from a place, as in the removal of troops from a military position.
c. Detachment, as from social or emotional involvement.
d. A removal of something that has been deposited, as in an account.
2.
a. Discontinuance of the use of a drug or other substance, especially one that is addictive.
b. The physiological and mental reaction to such discontinuance, often characterized by distressing symptoms: is going through withdrawal from opioids.
3. Informal A condition likened to that which is experienced when discontinuing use of an addictive substance: has been going through withdrawal since his favorite show ended.
4. The act or an instance of retracting or revoking: feared the withdrawal of his parents' permission.
5. Coitus interruptus.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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