*reto*

a. [ F. breton. ] Of or relating to Brittany, or Bretagne, in France. -- n. A native or inhabitant of Brittany, or Bretagne, in France; also, the ancient language of Brittany; Armorican. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ , n. 1. (Chem.) An apparatus in which coal gas, hydrogen, or air is passed through or over a volatile hydrocarbon, in order to confer or increase illuminating power. [ Written also carburettor. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One that carburets; specif., an apparatus in which air or gas is carbureted, as by passing it through a light petroleum oil. The carburetor for a gasoline engine is usually either a
surface carburetor, or alternatively a
float carburetor (called also
float-feed carburetor, or
spray carburetor). In the former air is charged by being passed over the surface of gasoline. In the latter a fine spray of gasoline is drawn from an atomizing nozzle by a current of air induced by the suction of the engine piston, the supply of gasoline being regulated by a float which actuates a needle valve controlling the outlet of the feed pipe. Alcohol and other volatile inflammable liquids may be used instead of gasoline. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ F., gr. Creton, its first manufacturer. ] 1. A strong white fabric with warp of hemp and weft of flax. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A fabric with cotton warp and woolen weft. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A kind of chintz with a glossy surface. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. cretosus, fr. creta chalk. ] Chalky; cretaceous. [ Obs. ] Ash. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Decretory; authoritative. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a decretory or definitive manner; by decree. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. decretorius, from decretum. See Decree. ] 1. Established by a decree; definitive; settled. [ 1913 Webster ]

The decretory rigors of a condemning sentence. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Serving to determine; critical. “The critical or decretory days.” Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Physiol.) Exciting secretion; -- said of the influence exerted by reflex action on the function of secretion, by which the various glands are excited to action. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. excrétoire. ] Having the quality of excreting, or throwing off excrementitious matter. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. feretrum bier, Gr. &unr_;, fr. fe`rein to bear, akin to L. ferre, E. bear to support. ] A portable bier or shrine, variously adorned, used for containing relics of saints. Mollett. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. foretācen. See Token. ] Prognostic; previous omen. Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Foretokened p. pr. & vb. n. Foretokening ] [ AS. foretācnian; fore + tācnian. ] To foreshow; to presignify; to prognosticate. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whilst strange prodigious signs foretoken blood. Daniel.

imp. & p. p. of Foretell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The hair on the forepart of the head; esp., a tuft or lock of hair which hangs over the forehead, as of a horse. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That part of a headdress that is in front; the top of a periwig. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Naut.) The platform at the head of the foremast. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. To this; hereunto. Hooker.

adv. Up to this time; hitherto; before; in time past. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ AS. heretoga, heretoha; here army + teón to draw, lead; akin to OS. heritogo, OHG. herizogo, G. herzog duke. ] (AS. Antiq.) The leader or commander of an army; also, a marshal. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ or . [ From Loreto, a city in Italy famous for its Holy House, said to be that in which Jesus lived, brought by angels from Nazareth. ] (R. C. Ch.) Members of a congregation of nuns founded by Mrs. Mary Teresa Ball, near Dublin, Ireland, in 1822, and now spread over Ireland, India, Canada, and the United States. The nuns are called also Ladies of Loreto. They are engaged in teaching girls. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ L. praetor, for praeitor, fr. praeire to go before; prae before + ire to go. See Issue. ] 1. (Rom. Antiq.) A civil officer or magistrate among the ancient Romans. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Originally the pretor was a kind of third consul; but at an early period two pretors were appointed, the first of whom (praetor urbanus) was a kind of mayor or city judge; the other (praetor peregrinus) was a judge of cases in which one or both of the parties were foreigners. Still later, the number of pretors, or judges, was further increased. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence, a mayor or magistrate. [ R. ] Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pretorian. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. praetorians: cf. F. prétorien. ] Of or pertaining to a pretor or magistrate; judicial; exercised by, or belonging to, a pretor; as, pretorian power or authority. [ 1913 Webster ]

Pretorian bands or
Pretorian guards, or
Pretorians (Rom. Hist.), the emperor's bodyguards, instituted by the Emperor Augustus in nine cohorts of 1, 000 men each. --
Pretorian gate (Rom. Antiq.), that one of the four gates in a camp which lay next the enemy. Brande & C. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A soldier of the pretorian guard. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L. praetorium, fr. praetor. ] 1. The general's tent in a Roman camp; hence, a council of war, because held in the general's tent. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The official residence of a governor of a province; hence, a place; a splendid country seat. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The office or dignity of a pretor. J. Warton [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To torture beforehand. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. propraetor; pro for, before + praetor a pretor. ] (Rom. Antiq.) A magistrate who, having been pretor at home, was appointed to the government of a province. [ Written also proprætor. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; fever + -logy: cf. F. pyrétologie. ] (Med.) A discourse or treatise on fevers; the doctrine of fevers. Hooper. [ 1913 Webster ]

imp. & p. p. of Retell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Retortion. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Retorted; p. pr. & vb. n. Retorting. ] [ L. retortus, p. p. of retorquere; pref. re- re- + torquere to turn twist. See Torsion, and cf. Retort, n., 2. ] 1. To bend or curve back; as, a retorted line. [ 1913 Webster ]

With retorted head, pruned themselves as they floated. Southey. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To throw back; to reverberate; to reflect. [ 1913 Webster ]

As when his virtues, shining upon others,
Heat them and they retort that heat again
To the first giver. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To return, as an argument, accusation, censure, or incivility; as, to retort the charge of vanity. [ 1913 Webster ]

And with retorted scorn his back he turned. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To return an argument or a charge; to make a severe reply. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Retort, v. t. ] 1. The return of, or reply to, an argument, charge, censure, incivility, taunt, or witticism; a quick and witty or severe response. [ 1913 Webster ]

This is called the retort courteous. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. [ F. retorte (cf. Sp. retorta), fr. L. retortus, p. p. of retorquere. So named from its bent shape. See Retort, v. t. ] (Chem. & the Arts) A vessel in which substances are subjected to distillation or decomposition by heat. It is made of different forms and materials for different uses, as a bulb of glass with a curved beak to enter a receiver for general chemical operations, or a cylinder or semicylinder of cast iron for the manufacture of gas in gas works. [ 1913 Webster ]

Tubulated retort (Chem.), a retort having a tubulure for the introduction or removal of the substances which are to be acted upon. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Repartee; answer. -- Retort, Repartee. A retort is a short and pointed reply, turning back on an assailant the arguments, censure, or derision he had thrown out. A repartee is usually a good-natured return to some witty or sportive remark. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who retorts. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. rétorsion. See Retort, v. t. ] 1. Act of retorting or throwing back; reflection or turning back. [ Written also retorsion. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

It was, however, necessary to possess some single term expressive of this intellectual retortion. Sir W. Hamilton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) Retaliation. Wharton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Containing retort. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To toss back or again. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Pref. re- + touch: cf. F. retoucher. ] 1. To touch again, or rework, in order to improve; to revise; as, to retouch a picture or an essay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Photog.) To correct or change, as a negative, by handwork. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Fine Arts) A partial reworking, as of a painting, a sculptor's clay model, or the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who retouches. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Physiol.) Causing secretion; -- said of nerves which go to glands and influence secretion. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. sécrétoire. See Secrete. ] (Physiol.) Secreting; performing, or connected with, the office of secretion; secernent; as, secretory vessels, nerves. -- n. A secretory vessel; a secernent. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Terete. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. 1. To that or this. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Besides; moreover. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

Her mouth full small, and thereto soft and red. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Up to that time; before then; -- correlative with heretofore. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. See Vire. ] An arrow or bolt for a crossbow having feathers or brass placed at an angle with the shaft to make it spin in flying. [ 1913 Webster ]