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Webster 1913 Edition

Answer

An′swer

(ăn′sẽr)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Answered
(ăn′sẽrd)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Answering
.]
[OE.
andswerien
, AS.
andswerian
,
andswarian
, to answer, fr.
andswaru
, n., answer. See
Answer
,
Noun.
]
1.
To speak in defense against; to reply to in defense;
as, to
answer
a charge; to
answer
an accusation.
2.
To speak or write in return to, as in return to a call or question, or to a speech, declaration, argument, or the like; to reply to (a question, remark, etc.); to respond to.
She
answers
him as if she knew his mind.
Shakespeare
So spake the apostate angel, though in pain: . . .
And him thus
answered
soon his bold compeer.
Milton.
3.
To respond to satisfactorily; to meet successfully by way of explanation, argument, or justification, and the like; to refute.
No man was able to
answer
him a word.
Matt. xxii. 46.
These shifts refuted,
answer
thine appellant.
Milton.
The reasoning was not and could not be
answered
.
Macaulay.
4.
To be or act in return or response to.
Hence:
(a)
To be or act in compliance with, in fulfillment or satisfaction of, as an order, obligation, demand;
as, he
answered
my claim upon him; the servant
answered
the bell.
This proud king . . . studies day and night
To
answer
all the debts he owes unto you.
Shakespeare
(b)
To render account to or for.
I will . . . send him to
answer
thee.
Shakespeare
(c)
To atone; to be punished for.
And grievously hath Cæzar
answered
it.
Shakespeare
(d)
To be opposite to; to face.
The windows
answering
each other, we could just discern the glowing horizon them.
Gilpin.
(e)
To be or act an equivalent to, or as adequate or sufficient for; to serve for; to repay.
[R.]
Money
answereth
all things.
Eccles. x. 19.
(f)
To be or act in accommodation, conformity, relation, or proportion to; to correspond to; to suit.
Weapons must needs be dangerous things, if they
answered
the bulk of so prodigious a person.
Swift.

An′swer

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To speak or write by way of return (originally, to a charge), or in reply; to make response.
There was no voice, nor any that
answered
.
1 Kings xviii. 26.
2.
To make a satisfactory response or return.
Hence:
To render account, or to be responsible; to be accountable; to make amends;
as, the man must
answer
to his employer for the money intrusted to his care
.
Let his neck
answer
for it, if there is any martial law.
Shakespeare
3.
To be or act in return.
Hence:
(a)
To be or act by way of compliance, fulfillment, reciprocation, or satisfaction; to serve the purpose;
as, gypsum
answers
as a manure on some soils
.
Do the strings
answer
to thy noble hand?
Dryden.
(b)
To be opposite, or to act in opposition.
(c)
To be or act as an equivalent, or as adequate or sufficient;
as, a very few will
answer
.
(d)
To be or act in conformity, or by way of accommodation, correspondence, relation, or proportion; to conform; to correspond; to suit; – usually with to.
That the time may have all shadow and silence in it, and the place
answer
to convenience.
Shakespeare
If this but
answer
to my just belief,
I ’ll remember you.
Shakespeare
As in water face
answereth
to face, so the heart of man to man.
Prov. xxvii. 19.

An′swer

,
Noun.
[OE.
andsware
, AS.
andswaru
;
and
against +
swerian
to swear. √177, 196. See
Anti-
, and
Swear
, and cf. 1st
un-
.]
1.
A reply to a charge; a defense.
At my first
answer
no man stood with me.
2 Tim. iv. 16.
2.
Something said or written in reply to a question, a call, an argument, an address, or the like; a reply.
A soft
answer
turneth away wrath.
Prov. xv. 1.
I called him, but he gave me no
answer
.
Cant. v. 6.
3.
Something done in return for, or in consequence of, something else; a responsive action.
Great the slaughter is
Here made by the Roman; great the
answer
be
Britons must take.
Shakespeare
4.
A solution, the result of a mathematical operation; as, the
answer
to a problem.
5.
(Law)
A counter-statement of facts in a course of pleadings; a confutation of what the other party has alleged; a responsive declaration by a witness in reply to a question. In Equity, it is the usual form of defense to the complainant's charges in his bill.
Bouvier.
Syn. – Reply; rejoinder; response. See
Reply
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Answer

'ANSWER

,
Verb.
T.
ansur.
1.
To speak in return to a call or question, or to a speech, declaration or argument of another person; as, 'I have called and ye have not answered.' 'He answered the question or the argument.' This may be in agreement and confirmation of what was said, or in opposition to it.
2.
To be equivalent to; to be adequate to, or sufficient to accomplish the object. 'Money answereth all things,' noting, primarily, return.
3.
To comply with, fulfill, pay or satisfy; as, he answered my order; to answer a debt.
4.
To act in return, or opposition; as, the enemy answered our fire by a shower of grape shot.
5.
To bear a due proportion to; to be equal or adequate; to suit; as, a weapon does not answer the size and strength of the man using it; the success does not answer our expectation.
6.
To perform what was intended; to accomplish; as, the measure does not answer its end; it does not answer the purpose.
7.
To be opposite to; to face; as, fire answers fire.
8.
To write in reply; to reply to another writing, by way of explanation, refutation or justification; as, to answer a pamphlet.
9.
To solve, as a proposition or problem in mathematics.
This word may be applied to a great variety of objects, expressing the idea of a return; as the notes, or sounds of birds, and other animals; an echo, &c.

'ANSWER

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To reply; to speak by way of return; as, there is none to answer. 1Kings 18.
2.
To be accountable, liable or responsible; followed by to before the person, and for before the thing for which one is liable; as, the man must answer to his employer for the money entrusted to his care; we can not answer to God for our offenses.
3.
To vindicate, or give a justificatory account of; followed by for; as, a man cannot answer for his friend.
4.
To correspond with; to suit with; followed by to.
In water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man. Prov. 27.
5.
To act reciprocally, as the strings of an instrument to the hand.
6.
To stand as opposite or correlative; as, allegiance in the subject answers to protection on the part of the prince or government.
7.
To return, as sound reverberated; to echo.
The noise seems to fly away, and answer at a great distance.
8.
To succeed; to effect the object intended; to have a good effect; as, gypsum answers as a manure on a dry soil.

Definition 2024

answer

answer

English

Alternative forms

  • answeare, aunswer (both obsolete)

Noun

answer ‎(plural answers)

  1. A response or reply; something said or done in reaction to a statement or question.
    Her answer to his proposal was a slap in the face.
  2. A solution to a problem.
    There is no simple answer to corruption.
  3. (law) A document filed in response to a complaint, responding to each point raised in the complaint and raising counterpoints.
Derived terms
Translations

See also

Etymology 2

From Middle English answeren, andswaren, from Old English andswarian ‎(“to answer, respond, give an answer”), from Proto-Germanic *and- ‎(“back, in return”) + *swarō ‎(“oath”), from Proto-Germanic *swarjaną ‎(“to speak, swear”), equivalent to and- +‎ swear. Cognate with Old Frisian ondswera ‎(“to answer”), Danish ansvare ‎(“to answer, account for”), Swedish ansvara ‎(“to answer, account for”), Icelandic andsvara ‎(“to answer, reply”).

Verb

answer ‎(third-person singular simple present answers, present participle answering, simple past and past participle answered)

  1. (transitive, intransitive) To make a reply or response to.
    • Bible, 1 Kings xviii. 26
      There was no voice, nor any that answered.
    • Shakespeare
      She answers him as if she knew his mind.
    • 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 4, in The Celebrity:
      “Well,” I answered, at first with uncertainty, then with inspiration, “he would do splendidly to lead your cotillon, if you think of having one.” “So you do not dance, Mr. Crocker?” I was somewhat set back by her perspicuity.
    He answered the question.‎
  2. (transitive) To speak in defence against; to reply to in defence.
    to answer a charge or accusation
  3. (transitive, intransitive) To respond to a call by someone at a door or telephone, or other similar piece of equipment.
    She answered the door.‎
    Nobody answered when I knocked on the door.
  4. (transitive, intransitive) To suit a need or purpose satisfactorily.
    • Alexander Ellis
      Of course for publication in a newspaper, my palaeotype would not answer, but my glossotype would enable the author to give his Pennsylvania German in an English form and much more intelligibly.
    • 1903, Samuel Butler, The Way of All Flesh, Ch. 41
      Theobald spoke as if watches had half-a-dozen purposes besides time-keeping, but he could hardly open his mouth without using one or other of his tags, and "answering every purpose" was one of them.
    It answers the need.‎
  5. To be accountable or responsible; to make amends.
    The man must answer to his employer for the money entrusted to his care.
    He has a lot to answer for.
    • Shakespeare
      Let his neck answer for it, if there is any martial law.
  6. (law) To file a document in response to a complaint.
  7. To correspond to; to be in harmony with; to be in agreement with.
    • 1775, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The Duenna, Act 2, Scene 2
      I wish she had answered her picture as well.
    • B. Edwards
      The use of dunder in the making of rum answers the purpose of yeast in the fermentation of flour.
  8. To be opposite, or to act in opposition.
    • Gilpin
      The windows answering each other, we could just discern the glowing horizon through them.
  9. To be or act in conformity, or by way of accommodation, correspondence, relation, or proportion; to conform; to correspond; to suit; usually with to.
    • Jonathan Swift
      Weapons must needs be dangerous things, if they answered the bulk of so prodigious a person.
    • Shakespeare
      That the time may have all shadow and silence in it, and the place answer to convenience.
    • Shakespeare
      If this but answer to my just belief, / I'll remember you.
    • Bible, Proverbs xxvii. 19
      As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.
  10. To respond to satisfactorily; to meet successfully by way of explanation, argument, or justification; to refute.
    • Bible, Matt. xxii. 46
      No man was able to answer him a word.
    • Milton
      These shifts refuted, answer thine appellant.
    • Macaulay
      The reasoning was not and could not be answered.
  11. To be or act in compliance with, in fulfillment or satisfaction of, as an order, obligation, or demand.
    He answered my claim upon him.
    The servant answered the bell.
    • Shakespeare
      This proud king […] studies day and night / To answer all the debts he owes unto you.
  12. (obsolete) To render account to or for.
    • Shakespeare
      I will […] send him to answer thee.
  13. (obsolete) To atone; to be punished for.
    • Shakespeare
      And grievously hath Caesar answered it.
  14. (obsolete) To be or act as an equivalent to, or as adequate or sufficient for; to serve for; to repay.
    • Bible, Eccles. x. 19
      Money answereth all things.
Derived terms
Translations

See also

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: written · arms · across · #446: answer · early · saying · talk

Etymology

From Middle English answere, andsware, from Old English andswaru ‎(“answer”), from Proto-Germanic *andaswarō ‎(“answer”), equivalent to and- +‎ swear. Cognate with Old Frisian ondser ‎(“answer”), Old Saxon andswōr ‎(“answer”), Danish and Swedish ansvar ‎(“liability, responsibility, answer”), Icelandic andsvar ‎(“answer, response”). Compare also Old English andwyrde ‎(“answer”) (cognate to Dutch antwoord, German Antwort), Old English andcwiss ‎(“reply”), German Schwur ‎(“oath, vow”).

Pronunciation

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