retort

Meanings

Noun

• A sharp or witty reply, or one which turns an argument against its originator; a comeback.
• A flask with a rounded base and a long neck that is bent down and tapered, used to heat a liquid for distillation.
• A 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.
• A crematory furnace.

Verb

• To say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation.
• To make a remark which reverses an argument upon its originator; to return, as an argument, accusation, censure, or incivility.
• To bend or curve back.
• To throw back; to reverberate; to reflect.
• To heat in a retort.

Related

Similar words

• comeback, rejoinder, back answer

Origin

• Borrowed from Latin retortus, from retorqueo.
• From French retorte.