Adjacent Words

Return definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

RETURN, v.i. [L. torno.]
1. To come or go back to the same place. The gentleman goes from the country to London and returns, or the citizen of London rides into the country and returns. The blood propelled from the heart, passes through the arteries to the extremities of the body, and returns through the veins. Some servants are good to go on errands, but not good to return.
2. To come to the same state; as, to return from bondage to a state of freedom.
3. To answer.
He said, and thus the queen of heaven return'd.
4. To come again; to revisit.
Thou to mankind be good and friendly still, and oft return.
5. To appear or begin again after a periodical revolution.
With the year seasons return, but not to me returns day -
6. To show fresh signs of mercy.
Return, O Lord, deliver my soul. Psalms 6.
To return to God, to return from wickedness, to repent of sin or wandering from duty.
RETURN', v.t.
1. To bring, carry or send back; as, to return a borrowed book; to return a hired horse.
2. To repay; as, to return borrowed money.
3. To give in recompense or requital.
In any wise, return him a trespass-offering. 2 Samuel 6.
The Lord shall return thy wickedness upon thy own head. 1 Kings 2.
4. To give back in reply; as, to return an answer.
5. To tell, relate or communicate.
And Moses returned the words of the people to the Lord.
Exodus 19.
6. To retort; to recriminate.
If you are a malicious reader, you return upon me, that I affect to be thought more impartial than I am.
7. To render an account, usually an official account to a superior. Officers of the army and navy return to the commander the number of men in companies, regiments, etc.; they return the number of men sick or capable of duty; they return the quantity of ammunition, provisions, etc.
8. To render back to a tribunal or to an office; as, to return a writ or an execution.
9. To report officially; as, an officer returns his proceedings on the back of a writ or precept.
10. To send; to transmit; to convey.
Instead of a ship, he should levy money and return the same to the treasurer for his majesty's use.
RETURN', n.
1. The act of coming or going back to the same place.
Takes little journeys and makes quick returns.
2. The act of sending back; as the return of a borrowed book or of money lent.
3. The act of putting in the former place.
4. Retrogression; the act of moving back.
5. The act or process of coming back to a former state; as the return of health.
6. Revolution; a periodical coming to the same point; as the return of the sun to the tropic of Cancer.
7. Periodical renewal; as the return of the seasons or of the year.
8. Repayment; reimbursement in kind or in something equivalent, for money expended or advanced, or for labor. One occupation gives quick returns; in others, the returns are slow. The returns of the cargo were in gold. The farmer has returns in his crops.
9. Profit; advantage.
From these few hours we spend in prayer, the return is great.
10. Remittance; payment from a distant place.
11. Repayment; retribution; requital.
Is no return due from a grateful breast?
12. Act of restoring or giving back; restitution.
13. Either of the adjoining sides of the front of a house or ground-plot, is called a return side.
14. In law, the rendering back or delivery of a writ, precept or execution, to the proper officer or court; or the certificate of the officer executing it, indorsed. We call the transmission of the writ to the proper officer or court, a return; and we give the same name to the certificate or official account of the officer's service or proceedings. The sheriff or his subordinate officers make return of all writs and precepts. We use the same language for the sending back of a commission with the certificate of the commissioners.
15. A day in bank. The day on which the defendant is ordered to appear in court, and the sheriff is to bring in the writ and report his proceedings, is called the return of the writ.
16. In military and naval affairs, an official account, report or statement rendered to the commander; as the return of men fit for duty; the return of the number of the sick; the return of provisions, ammunition, etc.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: document giving the tax collector information about the taxpayer's tax liability; "his gross income was enough that he had to file a tax return" [syn: tax return, income tax return, return]
2: a coming to or returning home; "on his return from Australia we gave him a welcoming party" [syn: return, homecoming]
3: the occurrence of a change in direction back in the opposite direction [syn: return, coming back]
4: getting something back again; "upon the restitution of the book to its rightful owner the child was given a tongue lashing" [syn: restitution, return, restoration, regaining]
5: the act of going back to a prior location; "they set out on their return to the base camp"
6: the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property; "the average return was about 5%" [syn: return, issue, take, takings, proceeds, yield, payoff]
7: happening again (especially at regular intervals); "the return of spring" [syn: recurrence, return]
8: a quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one); "it brought a sharp rejoinder from the teacher" [syn: rejoinder, retort, return, riposte, replication, comeback, counter]
9: the key on electric typewriters or computer keyboards that causes a carriage return and a line feed [syn: return key, return]
10: a reciprocal group action; "in return we gave them as good as we got" [syn: return, paying back, getting even]
11: a tennis stroke that sends the ball back to the other player; "he won the point on a cross-court return"
12: (American football) the act of running back the ball after a kickoff or punt or interception or fumble
13: the act of someone appearing again; "his reappearance as Hamlet has been long awaited" [syn: reappearance, return] v
1: go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before; "return to your native land"; "the professor returned to his teaching position after serving as Dean"
2: give back; "render money" [syn: render, return]
3: go back to a previous state; "We reverted to the old rules" [syn: revert, return, retrovert, regress, turn back]
4: go back to something earlier; "This harks back to a previous remark of his" [syn: hark back, return, come back, recall]
5: bring back to the point of departure [syn: return, take back, bring back]
6: return in kind; "return a compliment"; "return her love"
7: make a return; "return a kickback"
8: answer back [syn: retort, come back, repay, return, riposte, rejoin]
9: be restored; "Her old vigor returned" [syn: come back, return]
10: pay back; "Please refund me my money" [syn: refund, return, repay, give back]
11: pass down; "render a verdict"; "deliver a judgment" [syn: render, deliver, return]
12: elect again [syn: reelect, return]
13: be inherited by; "The estate fell to my sister"; "The land returned to the family"; "The estate devolved to an heir that everybody had assumed to be dead" [syn: fall, return, pass, devolve]
14: return to a previous position; in mathematics; "The point returned to the interior of the figure"
15: give or supply; "The cow brings in 5 liters of milk"; "This year's crop yielded 1,000 bushels of corn"; "The estate renders some revenue for the family" [syn: render, yield, return, give, generate]
16: submit (a report, etc.) to someone in authority; "submit a bill to a legislative body"

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French returner, from re- + turner, tourner to turn — more at turn Date: 14th century intransitive verb 1. a. to go back or come back again <return home> b. to go back in thought, practice, or condition ; revert <soon returned to her old habit> 2. to pass back to an earlier possessor 3. reply, retort transitive verb 1. a. to give (as an official account) to a superior b. British to elect (a candidate) as attested by official report or returns c. to bring back (as a writ or verdict) to an office or tribunal 2. a. to bring, send, or put back to a former or proper place <return the gun to its holster> b. to restore to a former or to a normal state 3. a. to send back ; visit — usually used with on or upon b. obsolete retort 4. to bring in (as profit) ; yield 5. a. to give or perform in return ; repay <return a compliment>; also to respond to in kind <returned his calls> b. to give back to the owner c. reflect <return an echo> 6. to cause (as a wall) to continue in a different direction (as at a right angle) 7. to lead (a specified suit or specified card of a suit) in response to a partner's earlier lead 8. a. to hit back (a ball or shuttlecock) b. to run with (a football) after a change of possession (as by a punt or a fumble) Synonyms: see reciprocate • returner noun II. noun Date: 14th century 1. a. the act of coming back to or from a place or condition b. a regular or frequent returning ; recurrence 2. a. (1) the delivery of a legal order (as a writ) to the proper officer or court (2) an endorsed certificate stating an official's action in the execution of such an order (3) the sending back of a commission with the certificate of the commissioners b. an account or formal report c. (1) a report of the results of balloting — usually used in plural <election returns> (2) an official declaration of the election of a candidate (3) chiefly British election d. (1) a formal statement on a required legal form showing taxable income, allowable deductions and exemptions, and the computation of the tax due (2) a list of taxable property 3. a. the continuation usually at a right angle of the face or of a member of a building or of a molding or group of moldings b. a means for conveying something (as water) back to its starting point 4. a. a quantity of goods, consignment, or cargo coming back in exchange for goods sent out as a mercantile venture b. the value of or profit from such venture c. (1) the profit from labor, investment, or business ; yield (2) plural results d. the rate of profit in a process of production per unit of cost 5. a. the act of returning something to a former place, condition, or ownership ; restitution <the return of stolen goods> b. something returned; especially plural unsold publications returned to the publisher for cash or credit 6. a. something given in repayment or reciprocation <a return on their years of hard work> b. answer, retort 7. an answering play: as a. a lead in a suit previously led by one's partner in a card game b. the action or an instance of returning a ball (as in football or tennis) 8. chiefly British round-trip III. adjective Date: 1676 1. a. having or formed by a change of direction <a return facade> b. doubled on itself <a return flue> 2. a. played, delivered, or given in return <return fire from the enemy> b. taking place for the second time <a return meeting for the two champions> 3. used or taken on returning <the return road> 4. returning or permitting return <a return valve> 5. of, relating to, or causing a return to a place or condition <use the prestamped return envelope>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v. 1 intr. come or go back. 2 tr. bring or put or send back to the person or place etc. where originally belonging or obtained (returned the fish to the river; have you returned my scissors?). 3 tr. pay back or reciprocate; give in response (decided not to return the compliment). 4 tr. yield (a profit). 5 tr. say in reply; retort. 6 tr. (in cricket or tennis etc.) hit or send (the ball) back after receiving it. 7 tr. state or mention or describe officially, esp. in answer to a writ or formal demand. 8 tr. (of an electorate) elect as an MP, government, etc. 9 tr. Cards a lead (a suit) previously led or bid by a partner. b lead (a suit or card) after taking a trick. 10 tr. Archit. continue (a wall etc.) in a changed direction, esp. at right angles. --n. 1 the act or an instance of coming or going back. 2 a the act or an instance of giving or sending or putting or paying back. b a thing given or sent back. 3 (in full return ticket) esp. Brit. a ticket for a journey to a place and back to the starting-point. 4 (in sing. or pl.) a the proceeds or profit of an undertaking. b the acquisition of these. 5 a formal report or statement compiled or submitted by order (an income-tax return). 6 (in full return match or game) a second match etc. between the same opponents. 7 Electr. a conductor bringing a current back to its source. 8 Brit. a sheriff's report on a writ. 9 esp. Brit. a a person's election as an MP etc. b a returning officer's announcement of this. 10 Archit. a part receding from the line of the front, e.g. the side of a house or of a window-opening. Phrases and idioms: by return (of post) by the next available post in the return direction. in return as an exchange or reciprocal action. many happy returns (of the day) a greeting on a birthday. return crease Cricket each of two lines joining the popping-crease and bowling-crease at right angles to the bowling-crease and extending beyond it. returning officer Brit. an official conducting an election in a constituency and announcing the results. return thanks express thanks esp. in a grace at meals or in response to a toast or condolence. Derivatives: returnable adj. returner n. returnless adj. Etymology: ME f. OF returner (as RE-, TURN)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Return Re*turn", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Returned; p. pr. & vb. n. Returning.] [OE. returnen, retournen, F. retourner; pref. re- re- + tourner to turn. See Turn.] 1. To turn back; to go or come again to the same place or condition. ``Return to your father's house.'' --Chaucer. On their embattled ranks the waves return. --Milton. If they returned out of bondage, it must be into a state of freedom. --Locke. Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. --Gen. iii. 19. 2. To come back, or begin again, after an interval, regular or irregular; to appear again. With the year Seasons return; but not me returns Day or the sweet approach of even or morn. --Milton. 3. To speak in answer; to reply; to respond. He said, and thus the queen of heaven returned. --Pope. 4. To revert; to pass back into possession. And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David. --1Kings xii. 26. 5. To go back in thought, narration, or argument. ``But to return to my story.'' --Fielding.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Return Re*turn", v. t. 1. To bring, carry, send, or turn, back; as, to return a borrowed book, or a hired horse. Both fled attonce, ne ever back returned eye. --Spenser. 2. To repay; as, to return borrowed money. 3. To give in requital or recompense; to requite. The Lord shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head. --1 Kings ii. 44. 4. To give back in reply; as, to return an answer; to return thanks. 5. To retort; to throw back; as, to return the lie. If you are a malicious reader, you return upon me, that I affect to be thought more impartial than I am. --Dryden. 6. To report, or bring back and make known. And all the people answered together, . . . and Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord. --Ex. xix. 8. 7. To render, as an account, usually an official account, to a superior; to report officially by a list or statement; as, to return a list of stores, of killed or wounded; to return the result of an election. 8. Hence, to elect according to the official report of the election officers. [Eng.] 9. To bring or send back to a tribunal, or to an office, with a certificate of what has been done; as, to return a writ. 10. To convey into official custody, or to a general depository. Instead of a ship, he should levy money, and return the same to the treasurer for his majesty's use. --Clarendon. 11. (Tennis) To bat (the ball) back over the net. 12. (Card Playing) To lead in response to the lead of one's partner; as, to return a trump; to return a diamond for a club. To return a lead (Card Playing), to lead the same suit led by one's partner. Syn: To restore; requite; repay; recompense; render; remit; report.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Return Re*turn", n. 1. The act of returning (intransitive), or coming back to the same place or condition; as, the return of one long absent; the return of health; the return of the seasons, or of an anniversary. At the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee. --1 Kings xx. 22. His personal return was most required and necessary. --Shak. 2. The act of returning (transitive), or sending back to the same place or condition; restitution; repayment; requital; retribution; as, the return of anything borrowed, as a book or money; a good return in tennis. You made my liberty your late request: Is no return due from a grateful breast? --Dryden. 3. That which is returned. Specifically: (a) A payment; a remittance; a requital. I do expect return Of thrice three times the value of this bond. --Shak. (b) An answer; as, a return to one's question. (c) An account, or formal report, of an action performed, of a duty discharged, of facts or statistics, and the like; as, election returns; a return of the amount of goods produced or sold; especially, in the plural, a set of tabulated statistics prepared for general information. (d) The profit on, or advantage received from, labor, or an investment, undertaking, adventure, etc. The fruit from many days of recreation is very little; but from these few hours we spend in prayer, the return is great. --Jer. Taylor. 4. (Arch.) The continuation in a different direction, most often at a right angle, of a building, face of a building, or any member, as a molding or mold; -- applied to the shorter in contradistinction to the longer; thus, a facade of sixty feet east and west has a return of twenty feet north and south. 5. (Law) (a) The rendering back or delivery of writ, precept, or execution, to the proper officer or court. (b) The certificate of an officer stating what he has done in execution of a writ, precept, etc., indorsed on the document. (c) The sending back of a commission with the certificate of the commissioners. (d) A day in bank. See Return day, below. --Blackstone. 6. (Mil. & Naval) An official account, report, or statement, rendered to the commander or other superior officer; as, the return of men fit for duty; the return of the number of the sick; the return of provisions, etc. 7. pl. (Fort. & Mining) The turnings and windings of a trench or mine. Return ball, a ball held by an elastic string so that it returns to the hand from which it is thrown, -- used as a plaything. Return bend, a pipe fitting for connecting the contiguous ends of two nearly parallel pipes lying alongside or one above another. Return day (Law), the day when the defendant is to appear in court, and the sheriff is to return the writ and his proceedings. Return flue, in a steam boiler, a flue which conducts flame or gases of combustion in a direction contrary to their previous movement in another flue. Return pipe (Steam Heating), a pipe by which water of condensation from a heater or radiator is conveyed back toward the boiler.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(returns, returning, returned) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. When you return to a place, you go back there after you have been away. Blair will return to London tonight... So far more than 350,000 people have returned home. VERB: V to/from n, V adv 2. Your return is your arrival back at a place where you had been before. Ryle explained the reason for his sudden return to London. N-SING: with poss 3. If you return something that you have borrowed or taken, you give it back or put it back. I enjoyed the book and said so when I returned it... VERB: V n • Return is also a noun. The main demand of the Indians is for the return of one-and-a-half-million acres of forest to their communities. N-SING: usu N of n 4. If you return something somewhere, you put it back where it was. He returned the notebook to his jacket. VERB: V n to n 5. If you return someone's action, you do the same thing to them as they have just done to you. If you return someone's feeling, you feel the same way towards them as they feel towards you. Back at the station the Chief Inspector returned the call... VERB: V n 6. If a feeling or situation returns, it comes back or happens again after a period when it was not present. Official reports in Algeria suggest that calm is returning to the country... VERB: V • Return is also a noun. It was like the return of his youth. N-SING: with supp 7. If you return to a state that you were in before, you start being in that state again. Life has improved and returned to normal. VERB: V to n • Return is also a noun. He made an uneventful return to normal health... N-SING: N to n 8. If you return to a subject that you have mentioned before, you begin talking about it again. The power of the Church is one theme all these writers return to. VERB: V to n 9. If you return to an activity that you were doing before, you start doing it again. At that stage he will be 52, young enough to return to politics if he wishes to do so. VERB: V to n • Return is also a noun. He has not ruled out the shock possibility of a return to football. N-SING: N to n 10. When a judge or jury returns a verdict, they announce whether they think the person on trial is guilty or not. They returned a verdict of not guilty. VERB: V n 11. A return ticket is a ticket for a journey from one place to another and then back again. (mainly BRIT) He bought a return ticket and boarded the next train for home. ADJ: usu ADJ n • Return is also a noun. (in AM, usually use round trip) BA and Air France charge more than £400 for a return to Nice. N-COUNT see also day return 12. The return trip or journey is the part of a journey that takes you back to where you started from. Buy an extra ticket for the return trip. ? outward ADJ: ADJ n 13. The return on an investment is the profit that you get from it. (BUSINESS) Profits have picked up this year but the return on capital remains tiny... N-COUNT 14. A tax return is an official form that you fill in with details about your income and personal situation, so that the income tax you owe can be calculated. He was convicted of filing false income tax returns... Anyone with slight complications in their tax affairs is likely to be asked to fill in a return. N-COUNT see also tax return 15. When it is someone's birthday, people sometimes say 'Many happy returns' to them as a way of greeting them. CONVENTION [formulae] 16. If you do something in return for what someone else has done for you, you do it because they did that thing for you. The deal offers an increase in policy value in return for giving up guarantees. PHRASE 17. If you say that you have reached the point of no return, you mean that you now have to continue with what you are doing and it is too late to stop. The release of Mr Nelson Mandela marked the point of no return in South Africa's movement away from apartheid. PHRASE 18. to return fire: see fire

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. n. 1. Go or come back, get back, turn back. 2. Recur, revert. 3. Answer, reply, respond. 4. Retort, recriminate. 5. Revisit, come again. II. v. a. 1. Restore, give back, send back. 2. Repay, refund. 3. Requite, recompense, repay. 4. Report, communicate, tell. 5. Render, report, remit. 6. Send, transmit, remit, convey. III. n. 1. Repayment, reimbursement, remittance, payment. 2. Recompense, reward, requital, repayment, restitution. 3. Advantage, benefit, profit, interest. 4. Official account.

Moby Thesaurus

CRT spot, DM display, Doppler signal, IF signal, IM display, RF echoes, about-face, acknowledge, acknowledgment, action and reaction, advent, advert, afford, alternate, alternation, amends, answer, answer back, answering, antiphon, arrival, atavism, atonement, automatic reaction, autonomic reaction, back answer, back talk, backchat, backing, backset, backslide, backsliding, backward deviation, backward motion, backward step, bandy, be here again, be quits with, be reflected, be sent back, beam, beat, beat signal, benefit, blips, blood money, boom, boomerang, bounce back, bounceback, bounces, bring back, bring in, capital gains, carry back, change, circle, cleanup, clear profit, cock, come again, come and go, come around, come back, come back at, come home, come in, come round, come round again, come up again, comeback, coming, commute, compensate, compensation, consideration, convalescence, cooperate, counter, counterblast, counterblow, counterchange, counterstroke, cycle, cyclicalness, damages, deliver, disenchantment, display, dividends, double, double back, double-dot display, doubling, duplication, earn, earnings, echo, echo back, echo signal, evasive reply, exchange, extradite, extradition, fall astern, fall behind, falling back, filthy lucre, flash back, flip-flop, gain, gains, get, get back at, get behind, get even with, gettings, give, give acknowledgment, give and take, give answer, give back, give-and-take, giving back, gleanings, go back, go backwards, go behind, go home, gross, gross profit, guerdon, hoard, homecoming, honorarium, imitation, income, indemnification, indemnity, interchange, interest, intermit, intermittence, intermittency, jerk back, keep coming, kickback, killing, lapse, lapse back, local oscillator signal, logroll, lose ground, lucre, makings, meed, meter, neat profit, net, net profit, offer, oscillate, oscillation, output signal, paper profits, pay, pay back, pay off, payment, pelf, pendulum motion, percentage, periodicalness, periodicity, perk, perks, permute, perquisite, pickings, picture, pips, piston motion, place in, plagiarism, predictable response, price, proceeds, proffer, profit, profits, pull back, pulsate, pulsation, pulse, put back, quittance, quotation, radar signal, rake-off, rally, react, reaction, reactivate, reading, ready reply, reappear, reappearance, rebirth, rebound, recede, receipt, receipts, recession, recidivate, recidivation, recidivism, reciprocate, reciprocation, reciprocity, reclamation, recoil, recommit, recommitment, recompense, reconstitute, reconversion, reconvert, recoupment, recover, recovery, recrudescence, recruit, recuperation, recur, recurrence, recursion, reddition, redoubling, redress, reduplication, reecho, reenact, reentrance, reentry, reestablish, refill, reflect, reflection, reflex, reflex action, refluence, reflux, reform, refund, refundment, regain, regress, regression, regular wave motion, regurgitation, rehabilitate, rehabilitation, reimbursement, reincarnation, reinstall, reinstate, reinstatement, reinstitute, reintegrate, reinvest, rejoin, rejoinder, relapse, remand, remandment, remigration, remit, remitter, remuneration, render, rendition, renew, renewal, reoccur, reoccurrence, reparation, repartee, repatriate, repatriation, repayment, repeat, repercuss, repetition, replace, replacement, replacing, replenish, replication, reply, report, repost, reproduction, requital, requite, requitement, rescript, rescription, resound, respond, respondence, response, responsion, responsory, restitution, restoration, restore, restoring, results, resume, resumption, resurface, retaliate, retaliation, retort, retribution, retroaction, retrocede, retrocession, retroflex, retroflexion, retrogradation, retrograde, retrogress, retrogression, retroversion, retrovert, retrusion, return answer, return for answer, return signal, return the compliment, returning, returns, revenue, reverberate, reverberation, reversal, reverse, reversion, revert, reverting, revest, revolve, revulsion, reward, rhythm, riposte, rise, roll, roll around, rollback, rotate, rumble, salvage, satisfaction, say, say in reply, seasonality, send back, sending back, setback, shoot back, short answer, signal, signal display, slip back, slipping back, smart money, snappy comeback, solatium, sound, spot, sternway, store, swap, switch, take, take back, take-in, takings, talk back, target image, throwback, trace, trade, transmitter signal, transpose, turn, turn back, turn in, turnabout, undulate, undulation, unthinking response, video signal, wealth, wergild, wheel, wheel around, winnings, witty reply, witty retort, yes-and-no answer, yield