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Return

//ɹɪˈtɜːn// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun

1
The act of returning. countable, uncountable
"I expect the house to be spotless upon my return."
2
the act of someone appearing again wordnet
3
A return ticket. countable, uncountable
"Do you want a one-way or a return?"
4
a coming to or returning home wordnet
5
An item that is returned, e.g. due to a defect. countable, uncountable
"Most product returns to the top retailers in the USA (either direct from the consumer or through non-sales) will be taken back by the original suppliers for rework or disposal."

Show 24 more definitions

6
getting something back again wordnet
7
An answer. countable, uncountable
"a return to one's question"
8
the act of going back to a prior location wordnet
9
An account, or formal report, of an action performed, of a duty discharged, of facts or statistics, etc.; especially, in the plural, a set of tabulated statistics prepared for general information. countable, uncountable
"election returns; a return of the amount of goods produced or sold"
10
(American football) the act of running back the ball after a kickoff or punt or interception or fumble wordnet
11
Gain or loss from an investment. countable, uncountable
"It yielded a return of 5%."
12
a tennis stroke that sends the ball back to the other player wordnet
13
A report of income submitted to a government for purposes of specifying exact tax payment amounts; a tax return. countable, uncountable
"Hand in your return within 90 days of the end of the tax year."
14
a reciprocal group action wordnet
15
A carriage return character. countable, uncountable
16
the key on electric typewriters or computer keyboards that causes a carriage return and a line feed wordnet
17
The act of relinquishing control to the calling procedure. countable, uncountable
18
document giving the tax collector information about the taxpayer's tax liability wordnet
19
A return value: the data passed back from a called procedure. countable, uncountable
20
a quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one) wordnet
21
A return pipe, returning fluid to a boiler or other central plant (compare with flow pipe, which carries liquid away from a central plant). countable, uncountable
"The boiler technician had to cut out the heating return to access the safety valve."
22
happening again (especially at regular intervals) wordnet
23
A roadway along which foul air travels from the face on its way out of the mine. countable, uncountable
24
the occurrence of a change in direction back in the opposite direction wordnet
25
The act of catching a ball after a punt and running it back towards the opposing team. countable, uncountable
26
the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property wordnet
27
A throw from a fielder to the wicket-keeper or to another fielder at the wicket. countable, uncountable
28
A short perpendicular extension of a desk, usually slightly lower. countable, uncountable
29
The continuation in a different direction, most often at a right angle, of a building, face of a building, or any member, such as a moulding; applied to the shorter in contradistinction to the longer. countable, uncountable
"A facade of sixty feet east and west has a return of twenty feet north and south."

Verb

1
To come or go back (to a place or person). intransitive
"Although the birds fly north for the summer, they return here in winter."
2
go back to a previous state wordnet
3
To go back in thought, narration, or argument. intransitive
"To return to my story[…]"
4
be restored wordnet
5
To recur; to come again. intransitive
"Winter returns every year."

Show 31 more definitions

6
answer back wordnet
7
To turn back, retreat. intransitive, obsolete
"‘I suppose here is none woll be glad to returne – and as for me,’ seyde Sir Cador, ‘I had lever dye this day that onys to turne my bak.’"
8
submit (a report, etc.) to someone in authority wordnet
9
To turn (something) round. obsolete, transitive
"Whan Kyng Marke harde hym sey that worde, he returned his horse and abode by hym."
10
go back to something earlier wordnet
11
To place or put back something where it had been. transitive
"Please return your hands to your lap."
12
pass down wordnet
13
To give something back to its original holder or owner. transitive
"You should return the library book within one month."
14
make a return wordnet
15
To give in requital or recompense; to requite.
"[…]the Lord ſhall returne thy wickedneſſe vpon thine owne head."
16
give or supply wordnet
17
To reciprocate (a visit or telephone call). transitive
"Hello, I'm just returning your call. What did you want to talk about?"
18
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before wordnet
19
To take back something to a vendor for a complete or partial refund. transitive
"Yeah, it's $600,000 but, if it doesn't work, you can always return it. As long as it's undamaged and in the original packaging, I'll give you a full refund."
20
return to a previous position; in mathematics wordnet
21
To bat the ball back over the net in response to a serve.
"The player couldn't return the serve because it was so fast."
22
bring back to the point of departure wordnet
23
To play a card as a result of another player's lead.
"If one players plays a trump, the others must return a trump."
24
be inherited by wordnet
25
To throw a ball back to the wicket-keeper (or a fielder at that position) from somewhere in the field.
26
pay back wordnet
27
To say in reply; to respond. transitive
"to return an answer; to return thanks; "Do it yourself!" she returned."
28
give back wordnet
29
To relinquish control to the calling procedure. intransitive
30
return in kind wordnet
31
To pass (data) back to the calling procedure. transitive
"This function returns the number of files in the directory."
32
elect again wordnet
33
To retort; to throw back. dated, transitive
"to return the lie"
34
To report, or bring back and make known. transitive
"to return the result of an election"
35
To elect to a certain office. Commonwealth, broadly, dated
"he was returned as a Member of Parliament"
36
To give a thrust or cut after parrying a sword-thrust.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English returnen, retornen, from Anglo-Norman returner, from Old French retourner, retorner, from Medieval Latin retornare (“to turn back”), from re- + tornare (“to turn”). By surface analysis, re- + turn. Compare beturn.

Etymology 2

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