Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Return
Re-turn′
,Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Returned
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Returning
.] 1.
To turn back; to go or come again to the same place or condition.
“Return to your father’s house.” Chaucer.
On their embattled ranks the waves
return
. Milton.
If they
returned
out of bondage, it must be into a state of freedom. Locke.
Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou
return
. Gen. iii. 19.
2.
To come back, or begin again, after an interval, regular or irregular; to appear again.
With the year
Seasons
Day or the sweet approach of even or morn.
Seasons
return
; but not me returns
Day or the sweet approach of even or morn.
Milton.
3.
To speak in answer; to reply; to respond.
He said, and thus the queen of heaven
returned
. Pope.
4.
To revert; to pass back into possession.
And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom
return
to the house of David. 1Kings xii. 26.
5.
To go back in thought, narration, or argument.
“But to return to my story.” Fielding.
Re-turn′
,Verb.
T.
1.
To bring, carry, send, or turn, back;
as, to
. return
a borrowed book, or a hired horseBoth fled attonce, ne ever back
returned
eye. Spenser.
2.
To repay;
as, to
. return
borrowed money3.
To give in requital or recompense; to requite.
The Lord shall
return
thy wickedness upon thine own head. 1 Kings ii. 44.
4.
To give back in reply;
as, to
return
an answer; to return
thanks.5.
To retort; to throw back;
as, to
. return
the lieIf you are a malicious reader, you
return
upon me, that I affect to be thought more impartial than I am. Dryden.
6.
To report, or bring back and make known.
And all the people answered together, . . . and Moses
returned
the words of the people unto the Lord. Ex. xix. 8.
7.
To render, as an account, usually an official account, to a superior; to report officially by a list or statement;
as, to
return
a list of stores, of killed or wounded; to return
the result of an election.8.
Hence, to elect according to the official report of the election officers.
[Eng.]
9.
To bring or send back to a tribunal, or to an office, with a certificate of what has been done;
as, to
. return
a writ10.
To convey into official custody, or to a general depository.
Instead of a ship, he should levy money, and
return
the same to the treasurer for his majesty's use. Clarendon.
11.
(Tennis)
To bat (the ball) back over the net.
12.
(Card Playing)
To lead in response to the lead of one's partner;
as, to
return
a trump; to return
a diamond for a club.To return a lead
(Card Playing)
, to lead the same suit led by one's partner.
Syn. – To restore; requite; repay; recompense; render; remit; report.
Re-turn′
,Noun.
1.
The act of returning (intransitive), or coming back to the same place or condition;
as, the
return
of one long absent; the return
of health; the return
of the seasons, or of an anniversary.At the
return
of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee. 1 Kings xx. 22.
His personal
return
was most required and necessary. Shakespeare
2.
The act of returning (transitive), or sending back to the same place or condition; restitution; repayment; requital; retribution;
as, the
return
of anything borrowed, as a book or money; a good return
in tennis.You made my liberty your late request:
Is no
Is no
return
due from a grateful breast? Dryden.
3.
That which is returned.
Specifically: (a)
A payment; a remittance; a requital.
I do expect
Of thrice three times the value of this bond.
return
Of thrice three times the value of this bond.
Shakespeare
(b)
An answer; as, a return to one's question.
(c)
An account, or formal report, of an action performed, of a duty discharged, of facts or statistics, and the like;
as, election
; especially, in the plural, a set of tabulated statistics prepared for general information. returns
; a return
of the amount of goods produced or sold(d)
The profit on, or advantage received from, labor, or an investment, undertaking, adventure, etc.
The fruit from many days of recreation is very little; but from these few hours we spend in prayer, the
return
is great. Jer. Taylor.
4.
(Arch.)
The continuation in a different direction, most often at a right angle, of a building, face of a building, or any member, as a molding or mold; – applied to the shorter in contradistinction to the longer; thus, a facade of sixty feet east and west has a return of twenty feet north and south.
5.
(Law)
(a)
The rendering back or delivery of writ, precept, or execution, to the proper officer or court.
(b)
The certificate of an officer stating what he has done in execution of a writ, precept, etc., indorsed on the document.
(c)
The sending back of a commission with the certificate of the commissioners.
(d)
A day in bank. See
Return day
, below. Blackstone.
6.
(Mil. & Naval)
An official account, report, or statement, rendered to the commander or other superior officer;
as, the
return
of men fit for duty; the return
of the number of the sick; the return
of provisions, etc.7.
pl.
(Fort. & Mining)
The turnings and windings of a trench or mine.
Return ball
, a ball held by an elastic string so that it returns to the hand from which it is thrown, – used as a plaything.
– Return bend
, a pipe fitting for connecting the contiguous ends of two nearly parallel pipes lying alongside or one above another.
– Return day
(Law)
, the day when the defendant is to appear in court, and the sheriff is to return the writ and his proceedings.
– Return flue
, in a steam boiler, a flue which conducts flame or gases of combustion in a direction contrary to their previous movement in another flue.
– Return pipe
(Steam Heating)
, a pipe by which water of condensation from a heater or radiator is conveyed back toward the boiler.
Webster 1828 Edition
Return
RETURN
,Verb.
I.
1.
To come or go back to the same place. The gentleman goes from the country to London and returns, or the citizen of London rides into the country and returns. The blood propelled from the heart, passes through the arteries to the extremities of the body, and returns through the veins. Some servants are good to go on errands, but not good to return.2.
To come to the same state; as, to return from bondage to a state of freedom.3.
To answer.He said, and thus the queen of heaven return'd.
4.
To come again; to revisit.Thou to mankind be good and friendly still, and oft return.
5.
To appear or begin again after a periodical revolution.With the year seasons return, but not to me returns day -
6.
To show fresh signs of mercy.Return, O Lord, deliver my soul. Ps. 6.
To return to God, to return from wickedness, to repent of sin or wandering from duty.