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retort

noun

  1. witty response to criticism
L1378614 on Wikidata ↗

noun

  1. glassware for distillation
  2. place for cremation
L326740 on Wikidata ↗

verb

  1. reply
L960 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈtɔɹt/ / /ɹɪˈtɔːt/

noun

Etymology: From French retorte.

  1. A flask with a rounded base and a long neck that is bent down and tapered, used to heat a liquid for distillation.

    A large curved retort was boiling furiously in the bluish flame of a Bunsen burner, and the distilled drops were condensing into a two-litre measure.

  2. An airtight vessel in which material is subjected to high temperatures in the chemical industry or as part of an industrial manufacturing process, especially during the smelting and forging of metal.
  3. A pressure cooker.

    The retort is above boiling water. Beneath is a furnace. To the right a man is removing the chips from which the camphor has been extracted.

  4. A crematory furnace.

verb

Etymology: From French retorte.

  1. To heat in a retort.