retort
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Latin retorquere 'to be forced to twist back'; re- + -tort
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
retort (plural retorts)
- A sharp or witty reply, or one which turns an argument against its originator; a comeback.
- (chemistry) A flask with a rounded base and a long neck that is bent down and tapered, used to heat a liquid for distillation.
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- 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)
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- 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]
sharp or witty reply
flask used for distillation
Verb[edit]
retort (third-person singular simple present retorts, present participle retorting, simple past and past participle retorted)
- 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. […]”
- 1905, Baroness Emmuska Orczy, chapter 1, The Ayrsham Mystery[1]:
- To make a remark which reverses an argument upon its originator.
- To heat in a retort.
Translations[edit]
To say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation
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