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more about answering
answering |
2 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Answer \An"swer\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Answered}; p. pr & vb n. {Answering}.] [OE. andswerien AS andswerian andswarian to answer, fr andswaru n., answer. See {Answer}, n.] 1. To speak in defense against; to reply to in defense; as to answer a charge; to answer an accusation. 2. To speak or write in return to as in return to a call or question, or to a speech, declaration, argument, or the like to reply to (a question, remark, etc.); to respond to She answers him as if she knew his mind. --Shak. So spake the apostate angel, though in pain: . . . And him thus answered soon his bold compeer. --Milton. 3. To respond to satisfactorily; to meet successfully by way of explanation, argument, or justification, and the like to refute. No man was able to answer him a word --Matt. xxii. 46. These shifts refuted, answer thine appellant. --Milton. The reasoning was not and could not be answered. --Macaulay. 4. To be or act in return or response to Hence: a To be or act in compliance with in fulfillment or satisfaction of as an order obligation, demand; as he answered my claim upon him the servant answered the bell. This proud king . . . studies day and night To answer all the debts he owes unto you --Shak. b To render account to or for I will . . . send him to answer thee. --Shak. c To atone; to be punished for And grievously hath C[ae]zar answered it --Shak. d To be opposite to to face. The windows answering each other we could just discern the glowing horizon them --Gilpin. e To be or act an equivalent to or as adequate or sufficient for to serve for to repay. [R.] Money answereth all things --Eccles. x. 19. f To be or act in accommodation, conformity, relation, or proportion to to correspond to to suit. Weapons must needs be dangerous things if they answered the bulk of so prodigious a person. --Swift. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: answering adj : replying; "an answering glance"; "an answering smile" [syn: {respondent}]
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