retain

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To maintain possession of. See Synonyms at keep.
2. v. To keep or hold in a particular place, condition, or position.
3. v. To keep in mind; remember.
4. v. To hire (an attorney, for example) by the payment of a fee.
5. v. To keep in one's service or pay.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To hold back; restrain; hinder from action, departure, or escape; keep back; detain.
2. To hold or keep in possession; reserve as one's own.
3. To continue in the use or practice of; preserve; keep up; keep from dying out: as, to retain a custom; to retain an appearance of youth.
4. To keep in mind; preserve a knowledge or idea of; remember.
5. To keep in pay; hire; take into service; especially, to engage by the payment of a preliminary fee: as, to retain counsel.
6. To entertain.
7. =Syn. 2–4. Reserve, Preserve, etc. See keep.
8. To keep on: continue.
9. To pertain; belong; be a dependent or retainer.

Wiktionary

1. v. transitive To keep in possession or use.
2. v. transitive To keep in one's pay or service.
3. v. transitive To employ by paying a retainer.
4. v. transitive To hold secure.
5. v. obsolete To belong; to pertain.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To continue to hold; to keep in possession; not to lose, part with, or dismiss; to restrain from departure, escape, or the like.
2. v. To keep in pay; to employ by a preliminary fee paid; to hire; to engage.
3. v. obsolete To restrain; to prevent.
4. v. obsolete To belong; to pertain.
5. v. obsolete To keep; to continue; to remain.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. keep in one's mind
2. v. hold back within
3. v. secure and keep for possible future use or application
4. v. allow to remain in a place or position or maintain a property or feature