*refut*

n. [ OF. refuite. ] Refuge. “Thou haven of refut.” [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being refutable. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. réfutable. ] Admitting of being refuted or disproved; capable of being proved false or erroneous. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Act of refuting; refutation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. refutatio: cf. F. réfutation. ] The act or process of refuting or disproving, or the state of being refuted; proof of falsehood or error; the overthrowing of an argument, opinion, testimony, doctrine, or theory, by argument or countervailing proof. [ 1913 Webster ]

Same of his blunders seem rather to deserve a flogging than a refutation. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. refutatorius: cf. F. réfutatoire. ] Tending to refute; refuting. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Refuted; p. pr. & vb. n. Refuting. ] [ F. réfuter, L. refuteare to repel, refute. Cf. Confute, Refuse to deny. ] To disprove and overthrow by argument, evidence, or countervailing proof; to prove to be false or erroneous; to confute; as, to refute arguments; to refute testimony; to refute opinions or theories; to refute a disputant. [ 1913 Webster ]

There were so many witnesses in these two miracles that it is impossible to refute such multitudes. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To confute; disprove. See Confute. [ 1913 Webster ]