Throw vs Return - What's the difference?

In transitive terms the difference between throw and return

is that throw is to project or send forth while return is to report, or bring back and make known.

In transitive computing terms the difference between throw and return

is that throw is to send (an error) to an exception-handling mechanism in order to interrupt normal processing while return is to pass (data) back to the calling procedure.

throw

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) (m), (m), from (etyl) .

Verb

To hurl; to cause an object to move rapidly through the air.

, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5 , passage=When this conversation was repeated in detail within the hearing of the young woman in question, and undoubtedly for his benefit, Mr. Trevor threw shame to the winds and scandalized the Misses Brewster then and there by proclaiming his father to have been a country storekeeper.}}

To eject or cause to fall off.

* Shakespeare

There the snake throws her enamelled skin.

To move to another position or condition; to displace.

* , chapter=17

, title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=This time was most dreadful for Lilian. Thrown on her own resources and almost penniless, she maintained herself and paid the rent of a wretched room near the hospital by working as a charwoman, sempstress, anything. In a moment she had dropped to the level of a casual labourer.}}

(ceramics) To make (a pot) by shaping clay as it turns on a wheel.

(cricket) Of a bowler, to deliver (the ball) illegally by straightening the bowling arm during delivery.

(computing) To send (an error) to an exception-handling mechanism in order to interrupt normal processing.

(sports) To intentionally lose a game.

* 2012 , August 1. Peter Walker and Haroon Siddique in Guardian Unlimited, Eight Olympic badminton players disqualified for 'throwing games'

Four pairs of women's doubles badminton players, including the Chinese top seeds, have been ejected from the Olympic tournament for trying to throw matches in an effort to secure a more favourable quarter-final draw.

(informal) To confuse or mislead.

* 1999 , Jan Blackstone-Ford, The Custody Solutions Sourcebook - Page 196

"Jann, why does he hate me so much?" That question threw me. I was expecting a lunatic yelling profanities.

(figuratively) To send desperately.

* {{quote-news, year=2010, date=December 28, author=Marc Vesty, work=BBC

, title= Stoke 0-2 Fulham , passage=Stoke threw men forward in numbers as they attempted to find a way back into the game, and Mark Schwarzer was forced into a low save from Huth's close-range effort.}}

To imprison.

* 1818 , (Mary Shelley), (Frankenstein)

The plot of Felix was quickly discovered, and De Lacey and Agatha were thrown into prison.

* 1993 , Margaret McKee, Fred Chisenhall, Beale black & blue: life and music on black America's main street - Page 30

The standard method of dealing with an addict was to arrest him, throw him into a cell, and leave him until the agonizing pangs of withdrawal were over.

To organize an event, especially a party.

* {{quote-news, year=1986, date=March 1, work=Evening News

, title= Bash Planned , passage=And now, Clevelanders hoping to bring the Rock Roll Hall of Fame to their city are throwing a bash to commemorate the 34th birthday of disc Jockey Alan Freed's "Moondog Coronation Ball".}}

* 1979 , Working Mother - July 1979 Page 72[http://books.google.com/books?id=SWEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA72&dq=%22throw+a+party%22&hl=en&ei=KGUeTbvyA426hAfw6OC3Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CFkQ6AEwCTgK#v=onepage&q=%22throw%20a%20party%22&f=false]

Should you be interested, for whatever reason, it will tell you how to throw a party for your 40-year-old husband or your 100-year-old great-grandmother. It also describes games that can be played at various kinds of parties

To roll (a die or dice).

* 1844 , Samuel Laing translating (Snorri Sturluson), Heimskringla

The kings came to the agreement between themselves that they would cast lots by the dice to determine who should have this property, and that he who threw the highest should have the district. The Swedish king threw two sixes, and said King Olaf need scarcely throw .

To cause a certain number on the die or dice to be shown after rolling it.

* 1844 , Samuel Laing translating (Snorri Sturluson), Heimskringla

The kings came to the agreement between themselves that they would cast lots by the dice to determine who should have this property, and that he who threw' the highest should have the district. The Swedish king ' threw two sixes, and said King Olaf need scarcely throw.

(bridge) To discard.

* {{quote-news, year=1990, date=January 4, work=(The Washington Times)

, title= Sharp coup overcomes trump split , passage=Declarer threw his queen of spades on the high diamond. He then won the last three tricks with his ace, queen and nine of hearts behind East's jack third.}}

(martial arts) To lift the opponent off the ground and bring him back down, especially into a position behind the thrower.

To subject someone to verbally.

* {{quote-news, year=2007, date=June 11, author=Claude Salhani, work=UPI

, title= Analysis: Irony of Bush's European tour , passage=In other European cities the president visited this week, people waited for his motorcade to pass to throw insults at him, requiring the police to intervene with batons, water cannons and tear gas.}}

(said of animals) To give birth to.

* 1916 , Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association: Volume 49

At the end of the normal gestation period the cow threw two calf mummies as large as cats.

(said of one's voice) To change in order to give the illusion that the voice is that of someone else.

* {{quote-news, year=2005, date=April 13, author=Leon Neyfakh, work=Harvard Crimson

, title= BOOKENDS: Will the Real Jonathan Safran Foer Please Stand Up , passage=“Then, when I throw my voice, when I speak as someone who's quite different from me, it starts to feel very authentic.”}}

To show sudden emotion, especially anger.

* 1991 , Janet L. Davies, Ellen Hastings Janosik, Mental health and psychiatric nursing: a caring approach

Bill runs into the kitchen and tells Dad that Erik is throwing a tantrum. He tells Bill to go back and watch his program and to ignore his brother. Fifteen minutes later, Erik is still screaming

* 1996 , New York Magazine Vol. 29, No. 32 - 19 Aug 1996; Entertaining Mrs Stone

In 1975, pregnant with the second of her three children, she threw a hissy fit to get on a trip to Boston for elected officials.

To project or send forth.

* 1900 , , (The House Behind the Cedars) , Chapter I,

Warwick left the undertaker's shop and retraced his steps until he had passed the lawyer's office, toward which he threw an affectionate glance.

To put on hastily; to spread carelessly.

* Alexander Pope

O'er his fair limbs a flowery vest he threw .

To twist two or more filaments of (silk, etc.) so as to form one thread; to twist together, as singles, in a direction contrary to the twist of the singles themselves; sometimes applied to the whole class of operations by which silk is prepared for the weaver.

(Tomlinson)

Synonyms

* (cause an object to move rapidly through the air) bowl, bung, buzz, cast, catapult, chuck, dash, direct, fire, fling, flip, heave, hurl, launch, lob, pitch, project, propel, send, shoot, shy, sling, toss, whang * (eject or cause to fall off) eject, throw off * (move to another position) displace, relocate * See also

Derived terms

* a stone's throw * overthrow * throw a bone to * throw a fit * throw away, throw-away * throw a wobbly * throwback * throw down the gauntlet * throw in the sponge * throw in the towel * throwing * throw shapes * throw the book at * throw up * throw one's weight around

Noun

(en noun)

The flight of a thrown object; as, a fast throw.

The act of throwing something.

A distance travelled; displacement; as, the throw of the piston.

A piece of fabric used to cover a bed, sofa or other soft furnishing.

A single instance, occurrence, venture, or chance.

Football tickets are expensive at fifty bucks a throw .

Derived terms

* throw pillow * throw-up

References

* Krueger, Dennis (December 1982). "Why On Earth Do They Call It Throwing?" Studio Potter Vol. 11, Number 1.[http://www.studiopotter.org/articles/?art=art0001]

Etymology 2

From (etyl) (m), alteration of (m), from (etyl) . More at (m).

Noun

(en noun)

Pain, especially pain associated with childbirth; throe.

(Spenser)

(Dryden)

(veterinary) The act of giving birth in animals, especially in cows.

Etymology 3

From (etyl), from (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)

(obsolete) A moment, time, occasion.

(obsolete) A period of time; a while.

* 1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , III.iv:

Downe himselfe he layd / Vpon the grassie ground, to sleepe a throw ; / The cold earth was his couch, the hard steele his pillow.

Synonyms

* (l)

Etymology 4

Noun

(head)

Anagrams

* * English irregular verbs

return

English

Verb

(en verb)

To come or go back (to a place or person).

, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4 , passage=The Celebrity, by arts unknown, induced Mrs. Judge Short and two other ladies to call at Mohair on an afternoon when Mr. Cooke was trying a trotter on the track. The three returned wondering and charmed with Mrs. Cooke; they were sure she had had no hand in the furnishing of that atrocious house.}}

*{{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)

, chapter=19 citation , passage=As soon as Julia returned with a constable, Timothy, who was on the point of exhaustion, prepared to give over to him gratefully. The newcomer turned out to be a powerful youngster, fully trained and eager to help, and he stripped off his tunic at once.}}

To go back in thought, narration, or argument.

(obsolete) To turn back, retreat.

*, Bk.V:

*:‘I suppose here is none woll be glad to returne – and as for me,’ seyde Sir Cador, ‘I had lever dye this day that onys to turne my bak.’

(obsolete) To turn (something) round.

*, Bk.X, Ch.xiij:

*:Whan Kyng Marke harde hym sey that worde, he returned his horse and abode by hym.

To put (place) something back where it had been.

To give something back to its original holder or owner.

To take something back to a retailer for a refund.

To give in requital or recompense; to requite.

*Bible, 1 Kings ii.44

*:The Lord shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head.

(tennis) To bat the ball back over the net in response to a serve.

(card games) To play a card as a result of another player's lead.

(cricket) To throw a ball back to the wicket-keeper (or a fielder at that position) from somewhere in the field.

To say in reply; to respond.

:to return''' an answer; to '''return thanks

*1897 , (Henry James), (What Maisie Knew)

*:‘Ah my good friend, I do look out!’ the young man returned while Maisie helped herself afresh to bread and butter.

(computing) To relinquish control to the calling procedure.

(computing) To pass (data) back to the calling procedure.

(dated) To retort; to throw back.

:to return the lie

*Dryden

*:If you are a malicious reader, you return upon me, that I affect to be thought more impartial than I am.

To report, or bring back and make known.

:to return the result of an election

*Bible, Exodus xix.8

*:And all the people answered together,and Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.

(by extension, UK) To elect according to the official report of the election officers.

Derived terms

(Terms derived from the verb "return") * return to form

Noun

(en noun)

The act of returning.

, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=2 , passage=I had occasion […] to make a somewhat long business trip to Chicago, and on my return […] I found Farrar awaiting me in the railway station. He smiled his wonted fraction by way of greeting, […], and finally leading me to his buggy, turned and drove out of town. I was completely mystified at such an unusual proceeding.}}

A return ticket.

An item that is returned, e.g. due to a defect, or the act of returning it.

An answer.

a return to one's question

An account, or formal report, of an action performed, of a duty discharged, of facts or statistics, etc.; especially, in the plural, a set of tabulated statistics prepared for general information.

election returns'''; a '''return of the amount of goods produced or sold

Gain or loss from an investment.

* Jeremy Taylor

The fruit from many days of recreation is very little; but from these few hours we spend in prayer, the return is great.

* {{quote-news, year=2012, date=April 22, author=Sam Sheringham, work=BBC Sport

, title= Liverpool 0-1 West Brom , passage=Liverpool have now won only five of their 17 home league games this season. It is a poor return for a team of Liverpool's pedigree and resources but, once again, Kenny Dalglish's team were the instigators of their own downfall as chance after chance went begging.}}

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-06, volume=408, issue=8843, page=68, magazine=(The Economist)

, title= The rise of smart beta , passage=Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return' of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of ' return .}}

(taxation, finance): A report of income submitted to a government for purposes of specifying exact tax payment amounts. A tax return.

(computing) A carriage return character.

(computing) The act of relinquishing control to the calling procedure.

(computing) A return value: the data passed back from a called procedure.

A short perpendicular extension of a desk, usually slightly lower.

(American football) Catching a ball after a punt and running it back towards the opposing team.

(cricket) A throw from a fielder to the wicket-keeper or to another fielder at the wicket.

The continuation in a different direction, most often at a right angle, of a building, face of a building, or any member, such as a moulding; applied to the shorter in contradistinction to the longer.

A facade of sixty feet east and west has a return of twenty feet north and south.

Synonyms

* (l)

Derived terms

(Terms derived from the noun "return") * abnormal return * absolute return * active return * amended return * annual return * carriage return * day return * dollar return * exante return * excess return * expected return * exponential return * false return * hard return * in return * information return * joint return * many happy returns * market return * mean return * non-return * point of no return * rate of return * real return * relative return * return address * return crease * return day * return extrasystole * return flow * return key * return of capital * return on assests * return on capital emlpoyed * return on equity * return on invested capital * return on investment * return on net assets * return on sales * return stroke * return ticket * return to form * Return To Zero * return address * risk-adjsuted return * risk-free return * risk-return tradeoff * safety-net return/safety net return * soft return * subperiod return * tax return * total return * venous return

Statistics

Anagrams

* English reporting verbs 1000 English basic words