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Ret vs Vet - What's the difference?

ret | vet |

As verbs the difference between ret and vet

is that ret is to prepare (flax, hemp etc.) for further processing by soaking, which facilitates separation of fibers from the woody parts of the stem while vet is to thoroughly check or investigate particularly with regard to providing formal approval.

As an adjective ret

is retired.

As a noun vet is

a veterinarian or veterinary surgeon.

ret

English

Etymology 1

Precise origin uncertain; perhaps related to Middle Dutch ).

Verb

(rett)
  • To prepare (flax, hemp etc.) for further processing by soaking, which facilitates separation of fibers from the woody parts of the stem.
  • * 1989 , (Keith Bosley), translating Elias Lönnrot, The Kalevala , XLVIII:
    • the hemp was retted / and soon the retting was done / and swiftly it was hung up / and hurriedly it was dried […].
  • * 2006 , (Thomas Pynchon), Against the Day , Vintage 2007, page 621:
    • the lowland nearly silent except for water-thrushes, the harvested fields, the smell of hops being dried in kilns, flax pulled up and piled in sheaves, in local practice not to be retted till the spring
    Derived terms
    * retter

    Etymology 2

    Abbreviation.

    Adjective

    (head)
  • retired

    • Anagrams

    * * ----

    vet

    English

    Etymology 1

    .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (colloquial) A veterinarian or veterinary surgeon.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=December 14 , author=Steven Morris , title=Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave , work=Guardian citation , page= , passage=Colin Cameron, a vet who examined the dead animal, said there was "no doubt the kitten would have suffered unnecessarily" before dying.}}

    Etymology 2

    .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (colloquial, US) A veteran (a former soldier or other member of an armed forces).
    • Usage notes
    Although veteran'' can be used in many contexts such as sports or business to describe someone with many years of experience, ''vet is usually used only for former military personnel.

    Etymology 3

    possibly by analogy from Etymology 1, in the sense of "verifying the soundness [of an animal]"

    Verb

    (vett)
  • To thoroughly check or investigate particularly with regard to providing formal approval.
    • The FBI vets all nominees to the Federal bench.
    References
    OED2
    Synonyms
    * evaluate
    Derived terms
    * vetter

    Anagrams

    * * * ----