RETORT


Meaning of RETORT in English

~ 1

■ verb

1》 say something sharp, angry, or witty in answer to a remark or accusation.

2》 archaic repay (an insult or injury).

■ noun a sharp, angry, or witty reply.

Origin

C15: from L. ~- , retorquere 'twist back'.

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~ 2

■ noun

1》 a container or furnace for carrying out a chemical process on a large or industrial scale.

2》 historical a glass container with a long neck, used in distilling liquids and other chemical operations.

■ verb heat in a ~.

Origin

C17: from Fr. ~e , from med. L. ~a , feminine past participle of retorquere 'twist back' (with ref. to the long recurved neck of the laboratory container).

Concise Oxford English vocab.      Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка.