retainer

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. One that retains, as a device, frame, or groove that restrains or guides.
2. n. Dentistry An appliance used to hold teeth in position after orthodontic treatment.
3. n. An employee, typically a long-term employee.
4. n. A servant or an attendant, especially one in the household of a person of high rank.
5. n. The act of engaging the services of a professional adviser, such as an attorney, counselor, or consultant.
6. n. The fee paid to retain a professional adviser.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. One who or that which retains.
2. n. One who is kept in service; a dependent; an attendant; especially, a follower who wears his master's livery, but ranks higher than a domestic.
3. n. A sutler, camp-follower, or any person serving with an army who, though not enlisted, is subject to orders according to the rules and articles of war.
4. n. One who is connected with or frequents a certain place; an attendant.
5. n. The act of retaining dependents; entrance into service as a retainer; the state of being a retainer.
6. n. That by which a person's services are secured; a fee.
7. n. Specifically, in law:
8. n. Same as retaining fee (which see, under fee).
9. n. An authority given to an attorney or a solicitor to proceed in an action
10. n. The unlawful taking or detention of a known servant from his master during the period of service.
11. n. The act of an executor or administrator who is a creditor of the decedent, or whose estate he represents, in withholding from the fund so much as will pay what is due him: formerly allowed to be done even before any other creditors whose debts were of equal degree were paid.

Wiktionary

1. n. A dependent or follower of someone of rank.
2. n. A paid servant, especially one who has been employed for many years.
3. n. Any thing or person that retains.
4. n. A fee one pays to reserve the other's time for services.
5. n. dentistry : A device that holds teeth in position after orthodontic treatment.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. One who, or that which, retains.
2. n. One who is retained or kept in service; an attendant; an adherent; a hanger-on.
3. n. Hence, a servant, not a domestic, but occasionally attending and wearing his master's livery.
4. n. The act of a client by which he engages a lawyer or counselor to manage his cause.
5. n. The act of withholding what one has in his hands by virtue of some right.
6. n. A fee paid to engage a lawyer or counselor to maintain a cause, or to prevent his being employed by the opposing party in the case; -- called also retaining fee.
7. n. The act of keeping dependents, or the state of being in dependence.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a fee charged in advance to retain the services of someone
2. n. a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
3. n. a dental appliance that holds teeth (or a prosthesis) in position after orthodontic treatment