answer
VERB:
1. to speak or write in response; make answer; reply.
2. to respond by an act or motion:
He answered with a nod. // The champion answered with a right to the jaw.
3. to act or suffer in consequence of (usually followed by for).
4. to be or declare oneself responsible or accountable (usually followed by for):
I will answer for his safety.
5. to be satisfactory or serve (usually followed by for):
His cane answered for a baseball bat.
6. to conform; correspond (usually followed by to):
The prisoner answered to the description issued by the police.
7. to speak or write in response to; reply to:
to answer a person; to answer a question.
8. to act or move in response to:
Answer the doorbell. // We answered their goal with two quick goals of our own.
9. to solve or present a solution of.
10. to serve or fulfill:
This will answer the purpose.
11. to conform or correspond to; be similar or equivalent to:
This dog answers your description.
12. to atone for; make amends for.
13. to reply or respond favorably to:
I would like to answer your request but am unable to do so.
14. to reply or respond (to) by word or act:
to answer a question; he answered; to answer the door; he answered that he would come.
15. to reply correctly to; solve or attempt to solve:
I could answer only three questions.
16. to respond or react (to a stimulus, command, etc):
the steering answers to the slightest touch.
17. to meet the requirements (of); be satisfactory (for); serve the purpose (of):
this will answer his needs; this will answer for a chisel.
18. to match or correspond (esp in the phrase answer (or answer to) the description).
19. to give a defence or refutation of (a charge) or in (an argument).
20. to speak or write in reply:
think carefully before answering.
21. to be or make oneself responsible or accountable:
answer for a debt.
22. to make amends; atone:
He must answer for his crimes.
23. to be in conformity or correspondence:
She answered to the description.
24. to act in response to an action performed elsewhere or by another:
The home team scored first but the visitors answered quickly.
25. to be adequate; serve:
an old bucket answered for a sink // The school had to answer for a town hall.
26. to speak or write in reply to answer a question:
answer me.
27. to say or write by way of reply:
answer yes or no.
28. to reply to in rebuttal, justification, or explanation:
answer an accusation.
29. to correspond to:
answers the description.
30. to be adequate or usable for; fulfill:
answer a need.
31. to act in response to:
answered the call to arms.
32. to offer a solution for, especially, solve:
answer a riddle.
Origin:
before 900; Middle English andswerien, Old English andswerian, andswarian derivative of andswaru an answer, equivalent to and- opposite, facing (cf. and, along) + Germanic *swarō, derivative of swear. British dictionary: Old English andswaru an answer; related to Old Frisian ondser, Old Norse andsvar; see swear. —Dictionary.com. //
First Known Use of answer: Noun: before the 12th century. Verb: before the 12th century. History and Etymology for answer: Noun and Verb: Middle English, from Old English andswaru (akin to Old Norse andsvar answer); akin to Old English and- against, swerian to swear — more at ante-. —Merriam-Webster.
Sources: 1, 2.
1. to speak or write in response; make answer; reply.
2. to respond by an act or motion:
He answered with a nod. // The champion answered with a right to the jaw.
3. to act or suffer in consequence of (usually followed by for).
4. to be or declare oneself responsible or accountable (usually followed by for):
I will answer for his safety.
5. to be satisfactory or serve (usually followed by for):
His cane answered for a baseball bat.
6. to conform; correspond (usually followed by to):
The prisoner answered to the description issued by the police.
7. to speak or write in response to; reply to:
to answer a person; to answer a question.
8. to act or move in response to:
Answer the doorbell. // We answered their goal with two quick goals of our own.
9. to solve or present a solution of.
10. to serve or fulfill:
This will answer the purpose.
11. to conform or correspond to; be similar or equivalent to:
This dog answers your description.
12. to atone for; make amends for.
13. to reply or respond favorably to:
I would like to answer your request but am unable to do so.
14. to reply or respond (to) by word or act:
to answer a question; he answered; to answer the door; he answered that he would come.
15. to reply correctly to; solve or attempt to solve:
I could answer only three questions.
16. to respond or react (to a stimulus, command, etc):
the steering answers to the slightest touch.
17. to meet the requirements (of); be satisfactory (for); serve the purpose (of):
this will answer his needs; this will answer for a chisel.
18. to match or correspond (esp in the phrase answer (or answer to) the description).
19. to give a defence or refutation of (a charge) or in (an argument).
20. to speak or write in reply:
think carefully before answering.
21. to be or make oneself responsible or accountable:
answer for a debt.
22. to make amends; atone:
He must answer for his crimes.
23. to be in conformity or correspondence:
She answered to the description.
24. to act in response to an action performed elsewhere or by another:
The home team scored first but the visitors answered quickly.
25. to be adequate; serve:
an old bucket answered for a sink // The school had to answer for a town hall.
26. to speak or write in reply to answer a question:
answer me.
27. to say or write by way of reply:
answer yes or no.
28. to reply to in rebuttal, justification, or explanation:
answer an accusation.
29. to correspond to:
answers the description.
30. to be adequate or usable for; fulfill:
answer a need.
31. to act in response to:
answered the call to arms.
32. to offer a solution for, especially, solve:
answer a riddle.
Origin:
before 900; Middle English andswerien, Old English andswerian, andswarian derivative of andswaru an answer, equivalent to and- opposite, facing (cf. and, along) + Germanic *swarō, derivative of swear. British dictionary: Old English andswaru an answer; related to Old Frisian ondser, Old Norse andsvar; see swear. —Dictionary.com. //
First Known Use of answer: Noun: before the 12th century. Verb: before the 12th century. History and Etymology for answer: Noun and Verb: Middle English, from Old English andswaru (akin to Old Norse andsvar answer); akin to Old English and- against, swerian to swear — more at ante-. —Merriam-Webster.
Sources: 1, 2.