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Added 7 October 2026

retort

/ɹɪˈtɔɹt/ noun

Latin root: retortus Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about retort at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A sharp or witty reply, or one which turns an argument against its originator; a comeback.
He countered her insult with a clever retort.

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 retort the charge of vanity
To bend or curve back.
a retorted line

noun

A flask with a rounded base and a long neck that is bent down and tapered, used to heat a liquid for distillation.
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.

verb

To heat in a retort.

Origin

From Middle English retorte, from Latin retortus, from retorquēre (“to be forced to twist back”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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