Answer : (noun)
1: a statement (either spoken or written) that is made in reply
to a question or request or criticism or accusation; "I
waited several days for his answer"; "he wrote replies
to several of his critics" [syn: reply, response]
2: a statement that solves a problem or explains how to solve
the problem; "they were trying to find a peaceful
solution"; "the answers were in the back of the book"; "he
computed the result to four decimal places" [syn: solution,
result, resolution, solvent]
3: the speech act of replying to a question [ant: question]
4: the principle pleading by the defendant in response to
plaintiff's complaint; in criminal law it consists of the
defendant's plea of `guilty' or `not guilty' (or nolo
contendere); in civil law it must contain denials of all
allegations in the plaintiff's complaint that the
defendant hopes to controvert and it can contain
affirmative defenses or counterclaims
5: a nonverbal reaction; "his answer to any problem was to get
drunk"; "their answer was to sue me"
(verb)
1: reply or respond to; "She didn't want to answer"; "answer
the question"; "We answered that we would accept the
invitation" [syn: reply, respond]
2: give the correct answer or solution to; "answer a question";
"answer the riddle"
3: respond to a signal; "answer the door"; "answer the
telephone"
4: understand the meaning of; "The question concerning the
meaning of life cannot be answered" [syn: resolve]
5: give a defence or refutation of (a charge) or in (an
argument); "The defendant answered to all the charges of
the prosecution"
6: be liable or accountable; "She must answer for her actions"
7: be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity;
"A few words would answer"; "This car suits my purpose
well"; "Will $100 do?"; "A 'B' grade doesn't suffice to
get me into medical school"; "Nothing else will serve"
[syn: suffice, do, serve]
8: match or correspond; "The drawing of the suspect answers to
the description the victim gave"
9: be satisfactory for; meet the requirements of or serve the
purpose of; "This may answer her needs"
10: react to a stimulus or command; "The steering of my new car
answers to the slightest touch"
Based on WordNet 2.0
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Answer : \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 C[ae]zar 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.
Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
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Answer : \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.
Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
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Answer : \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.
Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
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ANSWER, pleading in equity. A defence in writing made by a defendant, to the
charges contained in a bill or information, filed by the plaintiff against
him in a court of equity. The wordAnswer : involves a double sense; it is one
thing when it simply replies to a question, another when it meets a charge;
the answer in equity includes both senses, and may be divided into an
examination and a defence. In that part which consists of an examination, a
direct and full answer, or reply, must in general be given to every question
asked. In that part which consists of a defence, the defendant must state
his, case distinctly; but is not required to give information respecting the
proofs that are to maintain it. Gresl. Eq. Ev. 19.
2. As a defendant is called by a bill or information to make a
discovery of the several charges it contains, he must do so, unless he is
protected either by a demurrer a plea or disclaimer. It may be laid down as
an invariable rule, that whatever part of a bill or information is not
covered by one of these, must be defended by answer. Redesd. Tr. Ch. Pl.
244.
3. In form, it usually begins, 1st, with its title, specifying which of
the defendants it is the answer of, and the names of the plaintiffs in the
cause in which it is filed as answer; 2d, it reserves to the defendant all
the advantages which might be taken by exception to the bill; 3d, the
substance of the answer, according to the defendant's knowledge,
remembrance, information and belief, then follows, in which the matter of
the bill, with the interrogatories founded thereon, are answered, one after
the other, together with such additional matter as the defendant thinks
necessary to bring forward in his, defence, either for the purpose of
qualifying, or adding to, the case made by the bill, or to state a new case
on his own behalf; 4th, this is followed by a general traverse or denial of
all unlawful combinations charged in the bill, and of all other matters
therein contained 5th, the answer is always upon oath or affirmation, except
in the case of a corporation, in which case it is under the corporate seal.
4. In substance, the answer ought to contain, 1st, a statement of facts
and not arguments 2d, a confession and avoidance, or traverse and denial of
the material parts of the bill 3d, its language ought to be direct and
without evasion. Vide generally as to answers, Redes. Tr. Ch. Pl. 244 to
254; Coop. Pl. Eq. 312 to 327; Beames Pl. Eq. 34 et seq.; Bouv. Inst. Index,
h.t. For an historical account of this instrument, see 2 Bro. Civ. Law,
371, n. and Barton's Hist. Treatise of a Suit in Equity.
Based on Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [Bouvier_Law_Dictionary]:
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ANSWER, practice. The declaration of a fact by a witness after a question
has been put asking for it.
2. If a witness unexpectedly state facts against the interest of the
party calling him, other witnesses may be called by the same party, to
disprove those facts. But the party calling a witness cannot discredit him,
by calling witnesses to prove his bad character for truth and veracity, or
by proving that he has made statements out of court contrary to what he has
sworn on the trial; B. N. P.; for the production of the witness is virtually
an assertion by the party producing him, that he is credible.
Based on Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [Bouvier_Law_Dictionary]:
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