With retorted head, pruned themselves as they
floated. --Southey.
2. To throw back; to reverberate; to reflect.
As when his virtues, shining upon others, Heat them
and they retort that heat again To the first giver.
--Shak.
3. To return, as an argument, accusation, censure, or
incivility; as, to retort the charge of vanity.
And with retorted scorn his back he turned.
--Milton.
This is called the retort courteous. --Shak.
2. [F. retorte (cf. Sp. retorta), fr. L. retortus, p. p. of
retorquere. So named from its bent shape. See {Retort}, v.
t.] (Chem. & the Arts) A vessel in which substances are
subjected to distillation or decomposition by heat. It is
made of different forms and materials for different uses,
as a bulb of glass with a curved beak to enter a receiver
for general chemical operations, or a cylinder or
semicylinder of cast iron for the manufacture of gas in
gas works.
{Tubulated retort} (Chem.), a retort having a tubulure for
the introduction or removal of the substances which are to
be acted upon.
Usage: {Retort}, {Repartee}. A retort is a short and pointed
reply, turning back on an assailant the arguments,
censure, or derision he had thrown out. A repartee is
usually a good-natured return to some witty or
sportive remark.
{Tubulated bottle} or {retort} (Chem.), a bottle or retort
having a stoppered opening for the introduction or removal
of materials.