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Answer
Definitions
- 1 A response or reply; something said or done in reaction to a statement or question.
"Her answer to his proposal was a slap in the face."
- 2 a nonverbal reaction wordnet
- 3 A solution to a problem.
"There is no simple answer to corruption."
- 4 the principal pleading by the defendant in response to plaintiff's complaint; in criminal law it consists of the defendant's plea of ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty’ (or nolo contendere); in civil law it must contain denials of all allegations in the plaintiff's complaint that the defendant hopes to controvert and it can contain affirmative defenses or counterclaims wordnet
- 5 Someone or something that fills a similar role or position.
"Anti-pornography crusader Mary Whitehouse, who successfully brought London's Gay News to trial recently on charges of "blasphemy," is emerging as England's answer to Anita Bryant."
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- 6 a statement that solves a problem or explains how to solve the problem wordnet
- 7 A document filed in response to a complaint, responding to each point raised in the complaint and raising counterpoints.
- 8 a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation wordnet
- 9 the speech act of replying to a question wordnet
- 1 To make a reply or response to. ambitransitive
"She answers him as if she knew his mind:"
- 2 understand the meaning of wordnet
- 3 To speak in defence against; to reply to in defence. transitive
"to answer a charge or accusation"
- 4 give the correct answer or solution to wordnet
- 5 To respond to a call by someone at a door or telephone, or other similar piece of equipment. ambitransitive
"She answered the door."
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- 6 react to a stimulus or command wordnet
- 7 To suit a need or purpose satisfactorily. ambitransitive
"It answers the need."
- 8 respond to a signal wordnet
- 9 To be accountable or responsible; to make amends.
"The man must answer to his employer for the money entrusted to his care."
- 10 give a defence or refutation of (a charge) or in (an argument) wordnet
- 11 To file a document in response to a complaint.
- 12 react verbally wordnet
- 13 To correspond to; to be in harmony with; to be in agreement with.
"1775, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The Duenna, Dublin: G. Burnet et al., 1794, Act II, Scene 2, p. 25, Egad, I wish she had answer’d her picture as well."
- 14 be satisfactory for; meet the requirements of or serve the purpose of wordnet
- 15 To be opposite, or to act in opposition.
"The windows answering each other, we could just discern the glowing horizon through them […]"
- 16 match or correspond wordnet
- 17 To be or act in conformity, or by way of accommodation, correspondence, relation, or proportion; to conform; to correspond; to suit; usually with to.
"[…] that the time may haue all ſhadow, and ſilence in it: and the place anſwere to conuenience"
- 18 be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity wordnet
- 19 To respond to satisfactorily; to meet successfully by way of explanation, argument, or justification; to refute.
"[…] no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions."
- 20 be liable or accountable wordnet
- 21 To be or act in compliance with, in fulfillment or satisfaction of, as an order, obligation, or demand.
"He answered my claim upon him."
- 22 To render account to or for. obsolete
"[…] I will, by to-morrow dinner-time, / Send him to answer thee, or any man, / For any thing he shall be charged withal:"
- 23 To atone for; to be punished for. obsolete
"[…] The noble Brutus / Hath told you Caesar was ambitious: / If it were so, it was a grievous fault, / And grievously hath Caesar answer’d it."
- 24 To be or act as an equivalent to, or as adequate or sufficient for; to serve for; to repay. obsolete
"A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things."
Etymology
From Middle English answere, andsware, from Old English andswaru (“answer”), from and- (“against”) + swaru (“affirmation”), (from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- (“front, forehead”) and Old English swerian (“to swear”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer-), suggesting an original meaning of "a sworn statement rebutting a charge". The cognates suggest the existence of Proto-Germanic *andaswarō (“a reply to a question”). Cognate with Old Frisian ondser (“answer”), Old Saxon andswōr (“answer”), Danish and Swedish ansvar (“liability, responsibility, answer”), Icelandic andsvar (“answer, response”). Compare also Old English andwyrde (“answer”) (cognate to Dutch antwoord, German Antwort), Old English andcwiss (“reply”), German Schwur (“oath, vow”).
From Middle English answeren, andswaren, answerien, from Old English andswarian, answarien (“to answer, to respond, to deny an allegation under oath”), from Proto-Germanic *andaswarōną, *andaswarjaną (“to answer, to give a response, to rebut”), from *anda- (“against”) + *swarjaną, *swarōną (“to swear an oath, to answer, to respond”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- (“face, forehead”) and *swer- (“to swear”). Cognate with Old Frisian ondswera (“to answer”), Danish ansvare (“to answer, account for”), Swedish ansvara (“to answer, account for”), Icelandic andsvara (“to answer, reply”).
See also for "answer"
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