Retainer may refer to: *

Retainer (orthodontics) Orthodontic retainers are custom-made devices, usually made of wires or clear plastic, that hold teeth A tooth ( : teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Som ...

, devices for teeth * RFA ''Retainer'' (A329), a ship * Retainers in early China, a social group in early China

Employment

Retainer agreement A retainer agreement is a work-for-hire contract. It falls between a one-off contract and permanent employment, which may be full-time or part-time. Its distinguishing feature is that the client or customer pays in advance for professional work ...

, a contract in which an employer pays in advance for work, to be secured or specified later, when required *

Domestic worker A domestic worker or domestic servant is a person who works within the scope of a residence. The term "domestic service" applies to the equivalent occupational category. In traditional English contexts, such a person was said to be "in service ...

or servant, especially one who has been with one family for a long time (chiefly British English) *

Affinity (medieval) In post-classical history, an affinity was a collective name for the group (retinue) of (usually) men whom a lord gathered around himself in his service; it has been described by one modern historian as "the servants, retainers, and other foll ...

, also

Retinue A retinue is a body of persons "retained" in the service of a noble, royal personage, or dignitary; a ''suite'' (French "what follows") of retainers. Etymology The word, recorded in English since circa 1375, stems from Old French ''retenue'', it ...

, a person or group gathered around in the service of a lord

Employment

See also