Return

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ɹɪˈtɜːn/
• US IPA: /ɹɪˈtɝn/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(r)n
• Hyphenation: re + turn

Origin

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.

Full definition of return

Verb

1. (intransitive) To come or go back (to a place or person).
• 1898, Winston Churchill, The Celebrity Chapter 4, The Celebrity, by arts unknown, induced Mrs. Judge Short and two other ladies to call at Mohair on an 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.
• 1963, Margery Allingham, The China Governess Chapter 19, 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.
2. Although the birds fly north for the summer, they return here in winter.
3. (intransitive) To go back in thought, narration, or argument.
   To return to my story...
4. (intransitive, obsolete) To turn back, retreat.
• 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur, Book V:‘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.’
5. (transitive, obsolete) To turn (something) round.
• 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X:Whan Kyng Marke harde hym sey that worde, he returned his horse and abode by hym.
6. (transitive) To put (place) something back where it had been.
   Please return your hands to your lap.
7. (transitive) To give something back to its original holder or owner.
   You should return the library book within one month.
8. (transitive) To take something back to a retailer for a refund.
   If the goods don't work, you can return them.
9. To give in requital or recompense; to requite.
• Bible, 1 Kings ii. 44The Lord shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head.
10. (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.
11. (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.
12. (cricket) To throw a ball back to the wicket-keeper (or a fielder at that position) from somewhere in the field.
13. (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.
14. (intransitive, computing) To relinquish control to the calling procedure.
15. (transitive, computing) To pass (data) back to the calling procedure.
    This function returns the number of files in the directory.
16. (transitive, dated) To retort; to throw back.to return the lie
• DrydenIf you are a malicious reader, you return upon me, that I affect to be thought more impartial than I am.
17. (transitive) To report, or bring back and make known.to return the result of an election
• Bible, Exodus xix. 8And all the people answered together, ... and Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.
18. (by extension, UK) To elect according to the official report of the election officers.

Derived terms

Noun

1. The act of returning.
• 1898, Winston Churchill, The Celebrity Chapter 2, I had occasion … to make a somewhat long business trip to Chicago, and on my return … I found Farrar awaiting me in the railway station. He smiled his wonted fraction by way of greeting, …, and finally leading me to his buggy, turned and drove out of town. I was completely mystified at such an unusual proceeding.
2. I expect the house to be spotless upon my return.
3. A return ticket.
   Do you want a one-way or a return?
4. 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.
5. An answer.a return to one's question
6. 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
7. Gain or loss from an investment.
• Jeremy TaylorThe fruit from many days of recreation is very little; but from these few hours we spend in prayer, the return is great.
• 2012, April 22, Sam Sheringham, Liverpool 0-1 West Brom, 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.
• 2013-07-06, The rise of smart beta, 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.
8. It yielded a return of 5%.
9. (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.
10. (computing) A carriage return character.
11. (computing) The act of relinquishing control to the calling procedure.
12. (computing) A return value: the data passed back from a called procedure.
13. A short perpendicular extension of a desk, usually slightly lower.
14. (American football) Catching a ball after a punt and running it back towards the opposing team.
15. (cricket) A throw from a fielder to the wicket-keeper or to another fielder at the wicket.

Synonyms

• gaincoming

Derived terms

Anagrams

• turner, Turner