return meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

return

verb

AU, UK /ɹɪˈtɜːn/ · CA, US /ɹɪˈtɝn/

Etymology 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”). By surface analysis, re- + turn. Compare beturn.

20 senses

1To come or go back (to a place or person).
2To go back in thought, narration, or argument.
3To recur; to come again.
4To turn back, retreat.
5To turn (something) round.
6To place or put back something where it had been.
7To give something back to its original holder or owner.
8To give in requital or recompense; to requite.
9To reciprocate (a visit or telephone call).
10To take back something to a vendor for a complete or…
11To bat the ball back over the net in response to a serve.
12To play a card as a result of another player’s lead.
13To throw a ball back to the wicket-keeper (or a fielder…
14To say in reply; to respond.
15To relinquish control to the calling procedure.
16To pass (data) back to the calling procedure.
17To retort; to throw back.
18To report, or bring back and make known.
19To elect to a certain office.
20To give a thrust or cut after parrying a sword-thrust.

To come or go back (to a place or person).

Although the birds fly north for the summer, they return here in winter.
The Celebrity, by arts unknown, induced Mrs. Judge Short and two other ladies to call at Mohair on a certain afternoon when Mr. Cooke was trying a trotter on the track. The three returned wondering and charmed with Mrs. Cooke; they were sure she had had no hand in the furnishing of that atrocious house.1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 58:

2 more examples

“I came through and I shall return,” General MacArthur declared when he spoke at Terowie of the beleagured Philippines.1942, “‘I Came Through; I Shall Return”, in The Advertiser:
As soon as Julia returned with a constable, Timothy, who was on the point of exhaustion, prepared to give over to him gratefully. The newcomer turned out to be a powerful youngster, fully trained and eager to help, and he stripped off his tunic at once.1963, Margery Allingham, “Meeting Point”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 232:

To go back in thought, narration, or argument.

To return to my story[…]

To recur; to come again.

Winter returns every year.

Obsolete To turn back, retreat.

‘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.’1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “(please specify the chapter)”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book V, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, →OCLC:

Obsolete To turn (something) round.

Whan Kyng Marke harde hym sey that worde, he returned his horse and abode by hym.1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “Capitulum xiij”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book X, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, →OCLC:

To place or put back something where it had been.

Please return your hands to your lap.

To give something back to its original holder or owner.

You should return the library book within one month.

To give in requital or recompense; to requite.

[…]the Lord ſhall returne thy wickedneſſe vpon thine owne head.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Kings 2:44, column 2:

To reciprocate (a visit or telephone call).

Hello, I’m just returning your call. What did you want to talk about?

To take back something to a vendor for a complete or partial refund.

Yeah, it’s $600,000 but, if it doesn’t work, you can always return it. As long as it’s undamaged and in the original packaging, I’ll give you a full refund.

Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports, 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.

Card games, 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.

Ball games, Cricket, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports To throw a ball back to the wicket-keeper (or a fielder at that position) from somewhere in the field.

To say in reply; to respond.

to return an answer; to return thanks; “Do it yourself!” she returned.
“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 […]1859, Charles Dickens, “A Hand at Cards”, in A Tale of Two Cities, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, book III (The Track of a Storm), page 205:

1 more example

“Ah my good friend, I do look out,” the young man returned while Maisie helped herself afresh to bread and butter.1897 October 16, Henry James, chapter XII, in What Maisie Knew, Chicago, Ill.; New York, N.Y.: Herbert S. Stone & Co., →OCLC, page 132:

Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences To relinquish control to the calling procedure.

Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences To pass (data) back to the calling procedure.

This function returns the number of files in the directory.

Dated To retort; to throw back.

to return the lie
And novv, if you are a Malitious Reader, I expect you ſhould return upon me, that I affect to be thought more Impartial than I am.1681, [John Dryden], “To the Reader”, in Absalom and Achitophel. A Poem, London: […] J[acob] T[onson] and are to be sold by W. Davis […], →OCLC:

To report, or bring back and make known.

to return the result of an election
And all the people anſwered together, [...] and Moſes returned the wordes of the people vnto the Lord.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 19:8, column 2:

Commonwealth, Broadly, Dated, In the US To elect to a certain office.

he was returned as a Member of Parliament

Fencing, Government, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Martial arts, Military, Politics, Sports, War To give a thrust or cut after parrying a sword-thrust.

Synonyms: revend, give back, reinstate, render, restore, return, revest, surrender
Antonyms: take
Derived terms: misreturn, nonreturn, rereturn, retpoline, returnability, return back, returnee, return evil for evil, return fire, returning officer, returnment, returnship, return the favor, return to dust, return to form, return to one’s muttons, return to one’s senses, unreturning
Related terms: compensate, indemnify, reimburse
Hypernyms: give

return

noun

16 senses

1The act of returning.
2A return ticket.
3An item that is returned, e.g. due to a defect.
4An answer.
5An account, or formal report, of an action performed, of…
6Gain or loss from an investment.
7A report of income submitted to a government for…
8A carriage return character.
9The act of relinquishing control to the calling procedure.
10A return value: the data passed back from a called procedure.
11A return pipe, returning fluid to a boiler or other…
12A roadway along which foul air travels from the face on…
13The act of catching a ball after a punt and running it…
14A throw from a fielder to the wicket-keeper or to…
15A short perpendicular extension of a desk, usually…
16The continuation in a different direction, most often at…

The act of returning.

I expect the house to be spotless upon my return.
I had occasion […] to make a somewhat long business trip to Chicago, and on my return […] I found Farrar awaiting me in the railroad station.1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter II, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, pages 12–13:

1 more example

[…] of the existence or nonexistence of parental intent to abandon a subject minor child, whether the best interests and welfare of such minor child will be served by taking custody from the parents, and whether return of a child to the parents would be detrimental to such child.1976, Reports of Cases Determined in the Courts of Appeal of the State of California, page 423:

A return ticket.

Do you want a one-way or a return?

Business An item that is returned, e.g. due to a defect.

Most product returns to the top retailers in the USA (either direct from the consumer or through non-sales) will be taken back by the original suppliers for rework or disposal.2017, John Gattorna, Strategic Supply Chain Alignment, page 623:

An answer.

a return to one’s question

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
The other returns having come in, the result of the poll, that Sir James Graham had been superseded by Major Aglionby, was declared at Carlisle soon after 11 a.m.1942 May-June, Charles E. Lee, “The Brampton Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 140, relating to an election in 1837:

Gain or loss from an investment.

It yielded a return of 5%.
from the few hours we spend in prayer and the exercises of a pious life, the return is great and profitable1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Francis Ashe […], →OCLC:

2 more examples

Liverpool have now won only five of their 17 home league games this season. It is a poor return for a team of Liverpool’s pedigree and resources but, once again, Kenny Dalglish’s team were the instigators of their own downfall as chance after chance went begging.2012 April 22, Sam Sheringham, “Liverpool 0-1 West Brom”, in BBC Sport:
Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return.2013 July 6, “The rise of smart beta”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8843, page 68:

Business, Economics, Finance, Government, Sciences, Taxation A report of income submitted to a government for purposes of specifying exact tax payment amounts; a tax return.

Hand in your return within 90 days of the end of the tax year.

Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences A carriage return character.

Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences The act of relinquishing control to the calling procedure.

Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences A return value: the data passed back from a called procedure.

A return pipe, returning fluid to a boiler or other central plant (compare with flow pipe, which carries liquid away from a central plant).

The boiler technician had to cut out the heating return to access the safety valve.

Business, Mining A roadway along which foul air travels from the face on its way out of the mine.

American football, Ball games, Football, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports The act of catching a ball after a punt and running it back towards the opposing team.

Ball games, Cricket, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports A throw from a fielder to the wicket-keeper or to another fielder at the wicket.

A short perpendicular extension of a desk, usually slightly lower.

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: gaincoming
Derived terms: 106 terms
abnormal return, absolute return, active return, amended return, annual return, antireturn, auto-return, ball return, book return, bridge of no return, by return, by return mail, by return of post, carriage return, day return, dollar return, early return, Earth return vehicle, eternal return, exante return, excess return, expected return, exponential return, false return, first return time, hard return, income tax return, information return, in return, joint return, kick return, many happy returns, market return, mean return, misreturn, nonreturn, non-return, non-return valve, point of no return, prereturn, rate of return, real return, relative return, rereturn, return ace, return address, return ball, return bend, return check, return crease, return current, return day, return demonstration, return envelope, return extrasystole, return fare, return fire, return flow, return fraud, return game, return gift, return key, returnless, return match, return of capital, return on assets, return on capital employed, return on equity, return on invested capital, return on investment, return on net assets, return on sales, return-oriented programming, return pass, return path, return piece, return pointer, return shock, return spring, return stroke, return tag, return ticket, return time, return to form, return to sender, Return to Zero, return type, return valve, right of return, risk-adjusted return, risk-free return, risk-return tradeoff, safety-net return, safety net return, sale or return, Saturn return, sequence of return risk, side return, soft return, subperiod return, tax return, total return, total return swap, total shareholder return, venous return, warrant return

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.

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