return
Pronunciation
  • (RP) IPA: /ɹɪˈtɜːn/
  • (GA) IPA: /ɹɪˈtɝn/
Verb

return (returns, present participle returning; past and past participle returned)

  1. (intransitive) To come or go back (to a place or person).
    Although the birds fly north for the summer, they return here in winter.
  2. (intransitive) To go back in thought, narration, or argument.
    To return to my story […]
  3. (intransitive, obsolete) To turn back, retreat.
    • a. 1472, Thomas Malory, “(please specify the chapter)”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book V, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, OCLC 71490786 ↗; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: Published by David Nutt, […], 1889, OCLC 890162034 ↗:
      ‘I suppose here is none woll be glad to returne – and as for me,’ seyde Sir Cador, ‘I had lever dye this day that onys to turne my bak.’
  4. (transitive, obsolete) To turn (something) round.
    • a. 1472, Thomas Malory, “Capitulum xiij”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book X, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, OCLC 71490786 ↗; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: Published by David Nutt, […], 1889, OCLC 890162034 ↗:
      Whan Kyng Marke harde hym sey that worde, he returned his horse and abode by hym.
  5. (transitive) To place or put back something where it had been.
    Please return your hands to your lap.
  6. (transitive) To give something back to its original holder or owner.
    You should return the library book within one month.
  7. (transitive) To take back something to a vendor for a refund.
    If the goods don't work, you can return them.
  8. To give in requital or recompense; to requite.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, 1 Kings 2:44 ↗:
      The Lord shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head.
  9. (tennis) To bat the ball back over the net in response to a serve.
    The player couldn't return the serve because it was so fast.
  10. (card games) To play a card as a result of another player's lead.
    If one players plays a trump, the others must return a trump.
  11. (cricket) To throw a ball back to the wicket-keeper (or a fielder at that position) from somewhere in the field.
  12. (transitive) To say in reply; to respond.
    to return an answer;  to return thanks
    • 1897, Henry James, What Maisie Knew
      ‘Ah my good friend, I do look out!’ the young man returned while Maisie helped herself afresh to bread and butter.
    • 1859, Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
      “No!” returned the spy. “I throw up. I confess that we were so unpopular with the outrageous mob, that I only got away from England at the risk of being ducked to death […]
  13. (intransitive, computing) To relinquish control to the calling procedure.
  14. (transitive, computing) To pass (data) back to the calling procedure.
    This function returns the number of files in the directory.
  15. (transitive, dated) To retort; to throw back.
    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.
  16. (transitive) To report, or bring back and make known.
    to return the result of an election
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Exodus 19:8 ↗:
      And all the people answered together, […] and Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.
  17. (by extension, UK) To elect according to the official report of the election officers.
Related terms Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Noun

return (plural returns)

  1. The act of returning.
    I expect the house to be spotless upon my return.
  2. A return ticket.
    Do you want a one-way or a return?
  3. An item that is returned, e.g. due to a defect, or the act of returning it.
    Last year there were 250 returns of this product, an improvement on the 500 returns the year before.
  4. An answer.
    a return to one's question
  5. An account, or formal report, of an action performed, of a duty discharged, of facts or statistics, etc.; especially, in the plural, a set of tabulated statistics prepared for general information.
    election returns; a return of the amount of goods produced or sold
  6. Gain or loss from an investment.
    • The fruit from many days of recreation is very little; but from these few hours we spend in prayer, the return is great.
    It yielded a return of 5%.
  7. (taxation, finance): A report of income submitted to a government for purposes of specifying exact tax payment amounts. A tax return.
    Hand in your return by the end of the tax year.
  8. (computing) A carriage return character.
  9. (computing) The act of relinquishing control to the calling procedure.
  10. (computing) A return value: the data passed back from a called procedure.
  11. A return pipe, returning fluid to a boiler or other central plant (compare with flow pipe, which carries liquid away from central plant).
    The boiler technician had to cut out the heating return to access the safety valve.
  12. A short perpendicular extension of a desk, usually slightly lower.
  13. (American football) Catching a ball after a punt and running it back towards the opposing team.
  14. (cricket) A throw from a fielder to the wicket-keeper or to another fielder at the wicket.
  15. (architecture) The continuation in a different direction, most often at a right angle, of a building, face of a building, or any member, such as a moulding; applied to the shorter in contradistinction to the longer.
    A facade of sixty feet east and west has a return of twenty feet north and south.
Synonyms Translations Translations Translations
  • Italian: reso
  • Russian: возвра́т
Translations Translations
  • Russian: возвра́т
Translations
  • Russian: возвра́т каретки
Translations
  • Russian: возвра́т



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