An amount of money paid to an attorney to reserve them for when a client needs their services at a later date.
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
retainer (noun)1.
a) a person attached or owing service to a household , especially - servant
b) - employee
2.
one that - retains
3.
a device or structure that holds something in place as
a) the part of a dental replacement (as a bridge) by which it is made fast to adjacent natural teeth
b) a dental appliance used to hold teeth in correct position especially following orthodontic treatment
1.
the act of a client by which the services of a lawyer, counselor, or adviser are engaged
2.
a fee paid to a lawyer or professional adviser for advice or services or for a claim on services when needed
Merriam-Webster Online Thesaurus
retainer (noun)1.
a person hired to perform household or personal services
SYNONYMS:
daily, domestic, flunky ( flunkey flunkie), lackey, menial, retainer, slavey, stewardRELATED WORDS:
butler, footman, groom, houseboy, houseman, majordomo, man, manservant, servitor, valet; handmaiden ( handmaid), housekeeper, housemaid, lady-in-waiting, maid, maidservant, wench, woman; assistant, attendant, companion, factotum, follower; dogsbody [], drudge, gofer ( gopher)NEAR ANTONYMS:
boss, captain, chief, foreman, head, headman, helmsman, kingpin, leader, taskmaster2.
one who works for another for wages or a salary
SYNONYMS:
hand, hireling, jobholder, retainer, workerRELATED WORDS:
assistant, cog, flunky ( flunkey flunkie), subordinate, underling, yes-man; drudge, gandy dancer, grub, hack, jobber, laborer, navvy [], toiler; nine-to-fiver, wage earner, wage slave, wageworker, workingman, workingwoman, workman, workwoman; associate, colleague, coworker; temp, temporaryNEAR ANTONYMS:
boss, superior, supervisor