The present participle of retrieve, meaning to get or bring back something that was lost, stored, or left elsewhere. Often used in computing for accessing stored data.
From Old French retroever meaning 'to find again,' composed of re- (again) and trover (to find). The word entered English in the 15th century, initially used for hunting dogs finding game, then expanded to general recovery.
Dogs bred for retrieving have such strong instincts that they'll often retrieve objects without being asked - their brains are literally wired to find and bring back items. The computing term 'data retrieval' cleverly borrowed from this natural behavior.
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