retort

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.4 Verb

[edit] English

Wikipedia

[edit] Etymology

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

[edit] Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /rɪ'tɔ:t/, (US) IPA: /rəˈtoʊrt/

  Rhymes: -ɔː(r)t

[edit] Noun

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

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.