An"swer , n. [OE.
andsware, AS. andswaru; and against + swerian
to swear. &?;, &?;. See Anti-, and Swear, and cf. 1st un-.]
1. A reply
to a change;
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.
Shak.
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.
An"swer , v. 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.
Shak.
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.
Shak.
If this but answer to my just belief,
I 'll remember you.
Shak.
As in water face
answereth to face, so the heart
of man to man.
Pro&?;. xxvii.
19.
An"swer (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Answered (&?;);
p. pr. & vb. n.
Answering.]
[OE. andswerien, AS.
andswerian, andswarian, to answer, fr. andswaru, n., answer. See Answer, n.]
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.
Shak.
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.
Shak.
(b)
To render account to or
for.
I will . . . send him to answer thee.
Shak.
(c)
To atone; to be punished for.
And
grievously hath Cæzar answered it.
Shak.
(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.
Hear it pronounced