Hypertext Webster Gateway: "rebut"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Rebut \Re*but"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Rebutted}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Rebutting}.] [OF. reb??ter to repulse, drive back; pref. re-
+ bouter to push, thrust. See 1st {Butt}, {Boutade}.]
1. To drive or beat back; to repulse.
Who him, recount'ring fierce, as hawk in flight,
Perforce rebutted back. --Spenser.
2. (Law) To contradict, meet, or oppose by argument, plea, or
countervailing proof. --Abbott.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Rebut \Re*but"\, v. i.
1. To retire; to recoil. [Obs.] --Spenser.
2. (Law) To make, or put in, an answer, as to a plaintiff's
surrejoinder.
The plaintiff may answer the rejoinder by a
surrejoinder; on which the defendant. --Blackstone.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
rebut
v 1: overthrow by argument, evidence, or proof; "The speaker
refuted his opponent's arguments" [syn: {refute}]
2: prove to be false or incorrect [syn: {refute}, {controvert}]
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.