Retainer may refer to: *

Retainer (orthodontics) Orthodontic retainers are custom-made devices, usually made of wires or clear plastic, that hold teeth in position after surgery or any method of realigning teeth. Once a phase of orthodontic treatment has been completed to straighten teeth, th ...

, devices for teeth * RFA ''Retainer'' (A329), a ship *

Retainers in early China Retainers, also known as ''house guests'' (), ''invited guests'' () or ''catered guests'' (), were a special social group in Ancient China from pre- Qin period to Han dynasty, who lived as dependent employees under a nobleman, an officeholder, or ...

, 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 w ...

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

Domestic worker A domestic worker is a person who works within a residence and performs a variety of household services for an individual, from providing cleaning and household maintenance, or cooking, laundry and ironing, or care for children and elderly ...

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 fol ...

, 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'', ...

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

Employment

See also