transitive verb

1. to turn (an insult, epithet, deed, etc.) back upon the person from whom it came
2. to answer (an argument, etc.) in kind
3. to say in reply or response

Etymology: < L retortus, pp. of retorquere, to twist back < re-, back + torquere, to twist: see tort

intransitive verb

noun

1. a quick, sharp, or witty reply, esp. one that turns the words of the previous speaker back upon that speaker
2. the act or practice of making such reply

noun

1. a container, generally of glass and with a long tube, in which substances are distilled, as in a laboratory
2. a vessel in which ore is heated to extract a metal, coal is heated to produce gas, etc.

Etymology: Fr retorte < ML retorta < L, fem. of retortus: see retort