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Locate vs Retrieve - What's the difference?

locate | retrieve |

In transitive terms the difference between locate and retrieve

is that locate is to designate the site or place of; to define the limits of; as, to locate a public building; to locate a mining claim; to locate (the land granted by) a land warrant (Note: the designation may be purely descriptive: it need not be prescriptive. while retrieve is to fetch and bring in game.

As a noun retrieve is

a retrieval.

locate

English

Verb

(locat)
  • To place; to set in a particular spot or position.
  • *
  • The captives and emigrants whom he brought with him were located in the trans-Tiberine quarter.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-22, volume=407, issue=8841, page=68, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= T time , passage=The ability to shift profits to low-tax countries by locating intellectual property in them, which is then licensed to related businesses in high-tax countries, is often assumed to be the preserve of high-tech companies.}}
  • To find out where something is located.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=May-June, author=Kevin Heng
  • , volume=101, issue=3, page=184, magazine=(American Scientist) , title= Why Does Nature Form Exoplanets Easily? , passage=In the past two years, NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope has located nearly 3,000 exoplanet candidates ranging from sub-Earth-sized minions to gas giants that dwarf our own Jupiter. Their densities range from that of styrofoam to iron.}}
  • *
  • The Bat—they called him the Bat.. Most lone wolves had a moll at any rate—women were their ruin—but if the Bat had a moll, not even the grapevine telegraph could locate her.
  • To designate the site or place of; to define the limits of; as, to locate' a public building; to '''locate''' a mining claim; to '''locate (the land granted by) a land warrant (''Note : the designation may be purely descriptive: it need not be prescriptive.)
  • * (Herbert Spencer)
  • That part of the body in which the sense of touch is located .
  • (colloquial) To place one's self; to take up one's residence; to settle.(intransitive)
  • Anagrams

    * (l) ----

    retrieve

    English

    Verb

    (retriev)
  • To regain or get back something.
  • to retrieve''' one's character or independence; to '''retrieve a thrown ball
  • * Dryden
  • With late repentance now they would retrieve / The bodies they forsook, and wish to live.
  • To rescue (a) creature(s)
  • To salvage something
  • To remedy or rectify something.
  • To remember or recall something.
  • To fetch or carry back something.
  • * Berkeley
  • to retrieve them from their cold, trivial conceits
  • To fetch and bring in game.
  • The cook doesn't care what's shot, only what's actually retrieved .
  • To fetch and bring in game systematically.
  • Dog breeds called 'retrievers' were selected for retrieving .
  • To fetch or carry back systematically, notably as a game.
  • Most dogs love retrieving , regardless of what object is thrown.
  • (sports) To make a difficult but successful return of the ball.
  • (obsolete) To remedy the evil consequence of, to repair (a loss or damage).
  • * Prior
  • Accept my sorrow, and retrieve my fall.
  • * Burke
  • There is much to be done and much to be retrieved .

    Derived terms

    * retriever

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A retrieval
  • (sports) The return of a difficult ball
  • (obsolete) A seeking again; a discovery.
  • (Ben Jonson)
  • (obsolete) The recovery of game once sprung.
  • (Nares)