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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Answer \An"swer\, v. i.
1. To speak or write by way of return (originally, to a
charge), or in reply; to make response.
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There was no voice, nor any that answered. --1 Kings
xviii. 26.
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2. To make a satisfactory response or return. Hence: To
render account, or to be responsible; to be accountable;
to make amends; as, the man must answer to his employer
for the money intrusted to his care.
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Let his neck answer for it, if there is any martial
law. --Shak.
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3. To be or act in return. Hence:
(a) To be or act by way of compliance, fulfillment,
reciprocation, or satisfaction; to serve the purpose;
as, gypsum answers as a manure on some soils.
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Do the strings answer to thy noble hand?
--Dryden.
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(b) To be opposite, or to act in opposition.
(c) To be or act as an equivalent, or as adequate or
sufficient; as, a very few will answer.
(d) To be or act in conformity, or by way of
accommodation, correspondence, relation, or
proportion; to conform; to correspond; to suit; --
usually with to.
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That the time may have all shadow and silence in
it, and the place answer to convenience. --Shak.
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If this but answer to my just belief,
I 'll remember you. --Shak.
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As in water face answereth to face, so the heart
of man to man. --Prov. xxvii.
19.
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Answer \An"swer\ ([a^]n"s[~e]r), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Answered}
([a^]n"s[~e]rd); 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.
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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.
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She answers him as if she knew his mind. --Shak.
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So spake the apostate angel, though in pain: . . .
And him thus answered soon his bold compeer.
--Milton.
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3. To respond to satisfactorily; to meet successfully by way
of explanation, argument, or justification, and the like;
to refute.
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No man was able to answer him a word. --Matt. xxii.
46.
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These shifts refuted, answer thine appellant.
--Milton.
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The reasoning was not and could not be answered.
--Macaulay.
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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.
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This proud king . . . studies day and night
To answer all the debts he owes unto you.
--Shak.
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(b) To render account to or for.
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I will . . . send him to answer thee. --Shak.
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(c) To atone; to be punished for.
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And grievously hath C[ae]zar answered it.
--Shak.
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(d) To be opposite to; to face.
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The windows answering each other, we could just
discern the glowing horizon them. --Gilpin.
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(e) To be or act an equivalent to, or as adequate or
sufficient for; to serve for; to repay. [R.]
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Money answereth all things. --Eccles. x.
19.
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(f) To be or act in accommodation, conformity, relation,
or proportion to; to correspond to; to suit.
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Weapons must needs be dangerous things, if they
answered the bulk of so prodigious a person.
--Swift.
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Answer \An"swer\, n. [OE. andsware, AS. andswaru; and against
swerian to swear. [root]177, 196. See {Anti-}, and {Swear},
and cf. 1st {un-}.]
1. A reply to a charge; a defense.
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At my first answer no man stood with me. --2 Tim.
iv. 16.
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2. Something said or written in reply to a question, a call,
an argument, an address, or the like; a reply.
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A soft answer turneth away wrath. --Prov. xv. 1.
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I called him, but he gave me no answer. --Cant. v.
6.
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3. Something done in return for, or in consequence of,
something else; a responsive action.
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Great the slaughter is
Here made by the Roman; great the answer be
Britons must take. --Shak.
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4. A solution, the result of a mathematical operation; as,
the answer to a problem.
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5. (Law) A counter-statement of facts in a course of
pleadings; a confutation of what the other party has
alleged; a responsive declaration by a witness in reply to
a question. In Equity, it is the usual form of defense to
the complainant's charges in his bill. --Bouvier.
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Syn: Reply; rejoinder; response. See {Reply}.
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