Return meaning
To go or come back, as to an earlier condition or place.
She returned to her office after lunch.
verb
To revert in speech, thought, or practice.
I returned to my knitting after answering the phone.
verb
To revert to a former owner.
verb
To answer or respond.
I said hello to him, and he returned in kind.
verb
To send, put, or carry back.
We return bottles to the store.
verb
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To return is defined as to go back to someone or something, or to put something back.
An example of to return is life going back to normal after a chaotic event.
An example of to return is someone bringing a borrowed item back to the owner.
verb
To produce or yield (profit or interest) as a payment for labor, investment, or expenditure.
verb
To elect or reelect, as to a legislative body.
verb
To respond to (a partner's lead) by leading the same suit in cards.
verb
To turn away from or place at an angle to the previous line of direction.
verb
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A recurrence, as of a periodic occasion or event.
The return of spring.
noun
Something exchanged for that received; repayment.
noun
A reply; a response.
noun
A lead in certain card games that responds to the lead of one's partner.
noun
In tennis and certain other sports:
- The act of hitting or sending the ball back to one's opponent.
- The ball thus sent back.
noun
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A roundtrip ticket.
noun
A formal tax statement on the required official form indicating taxable income, allowed deductions, exemptions, and the computed tax that is due.
noun
Of, relating to, or bringing about a going or coming back to a place or situation.
The return voyage; a return envelope.
adjective
Given, sent, or done in reciprocation or exchange.
A return volley; a return invitation.
adjective
Performed, presented, or taking place again.
A return engagement of the ballet; a return tennis match.
adjective
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Returning or affording return or recirculation.
A return plumbing pipe; a return valve.
adjective
To go or come back, as to a former place, condition, practice, opinion, etc.
verb
To go back in thought or speech.
To return to the subject.
verb
To revert to a former owner.
verb
To answer; reply; retort.
verb
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To bring, send, carry, or put back; restore or replace.
verb
To give, send, or do (something equivalent to what has been given, sent, or done); give, send, or do in requital or reciprocation.
To return a visit, compliment, etc.
verb
To produce (a profit, revenue, etc.); yield.
verb
To elect or reelect, as to a legislature.
verb
To replace (a weapon) in its holder.
verb
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To turn back or in the opposite direction.
verb
To reflect (sound, light, etc.)
verb
To turn away from, or cause to continue on at an angle to, the previous line of direction.
verb
To respond to (one's partner's lead) with a lead of the same suit.
verb
To render (a verdict)
verb
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To hit, throw, or run back (a ball)
verb
A coming or going back, as to a former place, condition, etc.
noun
A bringing, sending, carrying, or putting back; restoration or replacement.
noun
A coming back again; reappearance; recurrence.
Many happy returns of the day.
noun
Something done or given as an equivalent for that received; repayment; requital; reciprocation.
noun
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An answer; reply; retort.
noun
A report.
- An official or formal report, as of the financial condition of a company.
- A report on a count of votes at polling places.Election returns.
- A form on which taxable income is reported and tax is computed.
noun
A lead in response to one's partner's lead.
noun
Of or for a return or returning.
Return postage.
adjective
Given, sent, done, etc. in return.
A return match.
adjective
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Occurring again.
A return performance.
adjective
Returning or returned.
adjective
Changing or reversing direction or formed by a change or reversal in direction, as a bend in a road.
adjective
In programming, upon completion of a routine or function, to go back to the point in the program that called the operation. When a function returns control, it may also return a result in the form of a value. For example, "the read function returns a -1 if the read fails" means that if the computer cannot read the file, before returning from the function, it stores a -1 in a variable defined by the programmer. See function. See also Enter key and return code.
An officer of the court’s bringing back a court-issued document, such as a writ, and reporting how the officer had done or why he had not done what that document had ordered.
noun
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An income tax return.
noun
(intransitive) To come or go back (to a place or person).
Although the birds fly north for the summer, they return here in winter.
verb
To give something back to its original holder or owner.
You should return the library book within one month.
verb
To take something back to a retailer for a refund.
If the goods don't work, you can return them.
verb
To give in requital or recompense; to requite.
verb
(computing) To pass (data) back to the calling procedure.
This function returns the number of files in the directory.
verb
The act of returning.
I expect the house to be spotless upon my return.
noun
A return ticket.
Do you want a one-way or a return?
noun
An item that is returned, e.g. due to a defect.
Last year there were 250 returns of this product, an improvement on the 500 returns the year before.
noun
(finance) Gain or loss from an investment.
It yielded a return of 5%.
noun
(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.
noun
(computing) The act of relinquishing control to the calling procedure.
noun
(computing) A return value: the data passed back from a called procedure.
noun
(American football) Catching a ball after a punt and running it back towards the opposing team.
noun
in return
- In repayment or reciprocation.
idiom
in return
- As a return; as an equivalent, response, etc.
idiom
Origin of return
- Middle English retornen from Old French retourner from Vulgar Latin retornāre Latin re- re- Latin tornāre to turn in a lathe turn
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- From Middle English returnen, retornen, from Anglo-Norman returner, from Old French retourner, retorner, from Medieval Latin retornare (“to turn back"), from re- + tornare (“to turn"). Compare beturn.
From Wiktionary