retort

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[edit] English

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Retort for distillation

[edit] Etymology

Latin retorquere 'twist back'; re- + -tort

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Noun

Singular
retort

Plural
retorts

retort (plural retorts)

  1. A sharp or witty reply, or one which turns an argument against its originator.
  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.

[edit] Verb

Infinitive
to retort

Third person singular
retorts

Simple past
retorted

Past participle
retorted

Present participle
retorting

to 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.
  2. To make a remark which reverses an argument upon its originator.
  3. To heat in a retort.
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