\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.

\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.

\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}.