n.
Pronunciation: ri- ' spän-d ə nt
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin respondent-, respondens, present participle of respond ē re
Date: 1528
1 : one who responds: as a : one who maintains a thesis in reply b (1) : one who answers in various legal proceedings (as in equity cases) (2) : the prevailing party in the lower court c : a person who responds to a poll
2 : a reflex that occurs in response to a specific external stimulus ― compare OPERANT