■ verb
1》 come or go back to a place.
↘( ~ to ) go back to (a state or situation).
↘(especially of a feeling) come back after a period of absence.
↘ Golf play the last nine holes in a round of eighteen holes.
2》 give or send back or put back in place: ~ the lamb to the oven and add the olives.
↘feel, say, or do (the same feeling, action, etc.) in response.
↘(in tennis and other sports) hit or send (the ball) back to an opponent.
↘ American Football intercept (a pass, kick, or fumble by the opposing team) and run upfield with the ball.
3》 yield or make (a profit).
4》 (of a judge or jury) state or present (a decision or verdict) in response to a formal request.
5》 (of an electorate) elect (a person or party) to office.
6》 Bridge lead (a card) after taking a trick.
7》 Architecture continue (a wall) in a changed direction, especially at right angles.
■ noun
1》 an act or the action of ~ing.
↘(also ~ match or game ) a second contest between the same opponents.
↘a thing which has been ~ed, especially an unwanted ticket for an event.
2》 (also ~ ticket ) Brit. a ticket allowing travel to a place and back again.
3》 (also ~s ) a profit from an investment.
4》 an official report or statement submitted in response to a formal demand: census ~s.
↘ Law an endorsement or report by a court officer or sheriff on a writ.
5》 (also carriage ~ ) a mechanism or key on a typewriter that ~s the carriage to a fixed position at the start of a new line.
↘(also ~ key ) a key pressed on a computer keyboard to simulate a carriage ~.
6》 an electrical conductor bringing a current back to its source.
7》 Architecture a part receding from the line of the front, for example the side of a house or of a window opening.
Phrases
by ~ ( of post ) Brit. in the next available mail delivery to the sender.
many happy ~s ( of the day ) a greeting to someone on their birthday.
Derivatives
~able adjective
~er noun
Origin
ME: the verb from OFr. ~er , from L. re- 'back' + tornare 'to turn'; the noun via Anglo-Norman Fr.