return
/ɹɪˈtɜːn/
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.19 in modern English
6
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To give in requital or recompense; to requite.
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "“I came through and I shall return,” General MacArthur declared when he spoke at Terowie of the beleagured Philippines."
- "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."
- "To return to my story[…]"
- "Winter returns every year."
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. Displaced native Old English eftċierran, literally "eft-char".
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ɹɪˈtɜːn/
- British English: /ɹɪˈtɜːn/
Usage
Inflected Forms
returns (present, singular)
returning (participle, present)
returned (participle, past)
returned (past)
no-table-tags (table tags)
glossary (inflection template)
returned (first person, past)
returnest (archaic, present)
returned (past, second person)
returnedst (archaic, past)
returneth (archaic, present)
returned (past, singular)
Derived Forms
Phrases
return back
return evil for evil
return fire
returning officer
return the favor
return to dust
return to form
return to one’s muttons