retort

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English[edit]

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Retort for distillation

Etymology[edit]

Latin retorquere 'to be forced to twist back'; re- + -tort

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

retort (plural retorts)

  1. A sharp or witty reply, or one which turns an argument against its originator; a comeback.
  2. (chemistry) A flask with a rounded base and a long neck that is bent down and tapered, used to heat a liquid for distillation.
    • 1893, A large curved retort was boiling furiously in the bluish flame of a Bunsen burner, and the distilled drops were condensing into a two-litre measure. — Arthur Conan Doyle, ‘The Naval Treaty’ (Norton 2005, p.670)
  3. A container in which material is subjected to high temperatures as part of an industrial manufacturing process, especially during the smelting and forging of metal.

Translations[edit]

Verb[edit]

retort (third-person singular simple present retorts, present participle retorting, simple past and past participle retorted)

  1. To say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation.
    • 1905, Baroness Emmuska Orczy, chapter 1, The Ayrsham Mystery[1]:
      “It is a pity,” he retorted with aggravating meekness, “that they do not use a little common sense. The case resembles that of Columbus'  egg, and is every bit as simple. […]”
  2. To make a remark which reverses an argument upon its originator.
  3. To heat in a retort.

Translations[edit]

Anagrams[edit]