n. & v.
n. 1 a vessel usu. of glass with a long recurved neck used in distilling liquids. 2 a vessel for heating mercury for purification, coal to generate gas, or iron and carbon to make steel.
v.tr. purify (mercury) by heating in a retort.
[ F retorte f. med.L retorta fem. past part. of retorquere: see RETORT(1) ]