pt réplica (a sharp or witty reply) · oc repartida (a sharp or witty reply) · fi sivallus (a sharp or witty reply) · fr riposte (a sharp or witty reply) · fr repartie (a sharp or witty reply) · es retruco (a sharp or witty reply) · ja 口答え (a sharp or witty reply) · cs odseknutí (a sharp or witty reply) · mi ngutu atamai (a sharp or witty reply) · es despachurramiento (a sharp or witty reply) · sv replik (a sharp or witty reply) · de schlagfertige Antwort (a sharp or witty reply) · de Erwiderung (a sharp or witty reply) · ru парирование (a sharp or witty reply) · fr réplique (a sharp or witty reply) · io repliko (a sharp or witty reply) · hy հակաճառություն (a sharp or witty reply) · es réspice (a sharp or witty reply) · ga aisfhreagra (a sharp or witty reply) · da replik (a sharp or witty reply) · es espachurramiento (a sharp or witty reply) · oc rebecada (a sharp or witty reply) · es retruque (a sharp or witty reply) · pl riposta (a sharp or witty reply) · es despachurro (a sharp or witty reply) · mi kupu paremata (a sharp or witty reply) · oc replica (a sharp or witty reply) · bg находчив отговор (a sharp or witty reply) · sv genmäle (a sharp or witty reply) · it replica (a sharp or witty reply) · fi tiuskaisu (a sharp or witty reply) · hu visszavágás (a sharp or witty reply) · cs ostrá odpověď (a sharp or witty reply) · cmn 反駁 /反驳 (a sharp or witty reply) · es reviraje (a sharp or witty reply) · hu riposzt (a sharp or witty reply) · es contrarréplica (a sharp or witty reply) · ml തർക്കുത്തരം (a sharp or witty reply) · oc retornament (a sharp or witty reply) · de Retourkutsche (a sharp or witty reply) · lv asa atbilde (a sharp or witty reply) · es réplica (a sharp or witty reply) · nl scherp antwoord (a sharp or witty reply)
From Middle English retorte, from Latin retortus, from retorquēre (“to be forced to twist back”).
Meanings
To say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation.
“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.[…]” 1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “The Ayrsham Mystery”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020:
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
And with retorted scorn his back he turned. 1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
To bend or curve back.
With retorted head, pruned themselves as they floated. 1829, Robert Southey, “(please specify the page)”, in Sir Thomas More: or, Colloquies on the Progress and Prospects of Society. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Murray, […], →OCLC:
a retorted line
To throw back; to reverberate; to reflect.
Glasses were filled, arresting the trooper on a theme of passion; the pariahdom of the country cop, whose self-respect is to retort the law's blackmail for blackmail levied on his self-respect. 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 162:
As when his virtues, shining upon others, / Heat them and they retort that heat again / To the first giver. c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:
bg отговарям остроумно (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · es revirar (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · lv atcirst (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · hy բոցել (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · pl ripostować (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · es despachurrar (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · sv replikera (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · es despanchurrar (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · ml തിരിച്ചടിക്കുക (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · gl retrucar (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · pt repostar (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · cs odseknout (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · cmn 反駁 /反驳 (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · fr rétorquer (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · fr lancer (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · fi sivaltaa (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · uk відповідати (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · es replicar (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · es chistar (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · bg отвръщам (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · cmn 回嘴 (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · es reponer (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · lv asi atbildēt (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · ta எதிர்த்து பேசு (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · es contrarreplicar (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · cs ostře odpovědět (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · pt replicar (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · pt retrucar (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · pt retorquir (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · ja 口答えする (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · uk відказувати (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · ru отбрить (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · es retrucar (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · ru парировать (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · fi tiuskaista (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · es espanchurrar (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · haw panepane (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation) · sv genmäla (to say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation)
A flask with a rounded base and a long neck that is bent down and tapered, used to heat a liquid for distillation.
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. 1893, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Naval Treaty, Norton, page 670:
An airtight vessel in which material is subjected to high temperatures in the chemical industry or as part of an industrial manufacturing process, especially during the smelting and forging of metal.
A pressure cooker.
The retort is above boiling water. Beneath is a furnace. To the right a man is removing the chips from which the camphor has been extracted. March 1920, Alice Ballantine Kirjassoff, “FORMOSA THE BEAUTIFUL”, in National Geographic Magazine, page 268:
ca retorta (flask used for distillation) · hu retorta (flask used for distillation) · lv retorte (flask used for distillation) · sv retort (flask used for distillation) · ru ко́лба (flask used for distillation) · hy թորանոթ (flask used for distillation) · hy թորաման (flask used for distillation) · cs retorta (flask used for distillation) · de Autoklav (an airtight vessel) · cmn 曲頸甑 /曲颈甑 (flask used for distillation) · hu lombik (flask used for distillation) · ota انبیق (flask used for distillation) · mi puoto whakaturuturu (flask used for distillation) · cs destilační baňka (flask used for distillation) · el αποστακτήρας (flask used for distillation) · it storta (flask used for distillation) · es retorta (flask used for distillation) · mi puoto kakīroa (flask used for distillation) · uk реторта (flask used for distillation) · nl retort (flask used for distillation) · cs křivule (flask used for distillation) · da destillerkolbe (flask used for distillation) · pt balão (flask used for distillation) · fr cornue (flask used for distillation) · da retort (flask used for distillation) · ro retortă (flask used for distillation) · ru рето́рта (flask used for distillation) · pl retorta (flask used for distillation) · io retorto (flask used for distillation) · tr imbik (flask used for distillation) · bg реторта (flask used for distillation) · de Retorte (flask used for distillation) · ja レトルト (an airtight vessel) · sh retorta (flask used for distillation) · fi retortti (flask used for distillation) · ja レトルト (flask used for distillation)