retort
noun
- witty response to criticism
noun
- glassware for distillation
- place for cremation
verb
- reply
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈtɔɹt/ / /ɹɪˈtɔːt/
noun
Etymology: From French retorte.
- 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.”
- 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.
- 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.”
- A crematory furnace.
verb
Etymology: From French retorte.
- To heat in a retort.