retort Etymology 1
From (etyl) retortus, from .
Noun
( en noun)
A sharp or witty reply, or one which turns an argument against its originator; a comeback.
Verb
( en verb)
To say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation.
*{{quote-book, year=1905, author=
, title=
, chapter=1 citation
, passage=“It is a pity,” he retorted with aggravating meekness, “that they do not use a little common sense. The case resembles that of Columbus' ?egg, and is every bit as simple. […]”}}
To make a remark which reverses an argument upon its originator; to return, as an argument, accusation, censure, or incivility.
- to retort the charge of vanity
* Milton
- And with retorted scorn his back he turned.
To bend or curve back.
- a retorted line
* Southey
- With retorted head, pruned themselves as they floated.
To throw back; to reverberate; to reflect.
* Shakespeare
- As when his virtues, shining upon others, / Heat them and they retort that heat again / To the first giver.
Synonyms
* (sharp reply) comeback, rejoinder, back answer
Etymology 2
From (etyl) retorte.
Noun
( en noun)
(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)
A container in which material is subjected to high temperatures]] as part of an industrial manufacturing process, especially during the smelting and [[forge, forging of metal.
Verb
( en verb)
To heat in a retort.
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berate English
Verb
( berat)
To chide or scold vehemently.
* 1896 , , Seats Of The Mighty , ch. 13:
- Gabord, still muttering, turned to us again, and began to berate the soldiers for their laziness.
* 1914 , , The Gods of Mars , ch. 21:
- A thousand times I berated myself for being drawn into such a trap as I might have known these pits easily could be.
* 1917 , , Jerry of the Islands , ch. 14:
- Lenerengo, as usual, forgot everything else in the fiercer pleasure of berating her spouse.
* 2008 , Alex Perry, " The Man Who Would Be (Congo's) King ," Time , 27 Nov.:
- During the rally, he berates the crowd for their cowardice.
* 2011 , Tom Fordyce, Rugby World Cup 2011: England 12-19 France [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/15210221.stm]
- France were supposedly a team in pieces, beaten by Tonga just a week ago and with coach Marc Lievremont publicly berating his players, but so clear-cut was their victory that much of the atmosphere had been sucked from the contest long before the end.
Synonyms
* See also
Related terms
* beration
Anagrams
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