See Also: Blooming(medicine)
blooming(dictionary)
night-blooming(medicine)
Answer(medicine)
Answer(money)
answer(1)(dictionary)
answer(2)(dictionary)
Answer(law)
ANSWER:(law)
ANSWER, practice(law)

answer(2) (iou) and blooming (oh)


answer(2) (iou)



answer verb.
[Old English andswarian, from ANSWER noun: cf. Old Frisian ondswera, Old Norse andsvara.]
Orig. verb intrans. with dat., through levelling of inflections later verb trans. in nearly every sense.
I. Make an answer to a charge.
a. verb intrans. Reply to a charge or accusation. OE.
Shakespeare Much Ado about Nothing It is proved already that you are little better than false knaves...How answer you for yourselves?
b. verb trans. Defend oneself against (a charge etc.); justify. M16.
C. Marlowe We were best look that your devil can answer the stealing of this same cup. G. B. Shaw This court has summoned all the dictators to..answer charges brought against them.
verb intrans. Be responsible or accountable for; vouch for. ME.
Bible (AV): Genesis 30:33 So shall my righteousnesse answere for me. E. Gaskell I'll answer for it Mrs. Goodenough saw Molly. G. B. Shaw Waiting nervously in the Hammersmith Police Court to answer for his breach of the peace.
verb intrans. foll. by for (to) & trans. Suffer, atone, make amends, (for). ME.
Shakespeare Julius Caesar If it were so, it was a grievous fault; And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it.
verb intrans. & trans. Rebut (an objection, an argument). ME.
E. O'Neill He can answer all your arguments easywith things right out of the Bible!
verb trans.
a. Satisfy (a person) of or for a pecuniary claim. LME-M16.
Ld Berners We wolde demaunde good hostages and sufficient, to answere vs of our horses agayne. R. Holinshed He would be answered for such summes of monie as king Richard had taken.
b. Satisfy (a pecuniary claim), discharge (a Debt); be sufficient for (a pecuniary liability). L15.
Shakespeare 1 Henry IV This proud king, who studies day and night To answer all the Debt he owes to you. H. Martineau A few shillings..to answer any sudden occasion.
verb trans. Prove a satisfactory return for (an investment) or to (an investor). E16-L18.
Swift The maid will..sell more butter and cheese than will answer her wages.
verb trans. Satisfy or fulfil (wishes, hopes, expectations, etc.). M16.
verb trans. Accomplish (an end); suit (a purpose); satisfy the requirements of. M17.
Henry Fielding I applied a fomentation..which highly answered the intention. Sir W. Scott He offered him a beast he thought wad answer him weel eneugh.
verb intrans. Serve the purpose; prove a Success; turn out (in a specified manner); be satisfactory to (a person). M18.
W. Cowper Their labour was almost in vain before, but now it answers. Lytton If Beatrice di Negra would indeed be rich, she might answer to himself as a wife. G. B. Shaw I tried the experiment of treating a scarlet fever case with a sample of hydrophobia serum.., and it answered capitally.
II. Make an answer to a question, remark, etc.
verb intrans. & trans. Reply to (a question, remark, appeal, request, or Other expression of desire or opinion); speak or write in reply (to). OE.
Bible (Tyndale): Luke 13:25 He shall answer and saye vnto you: I knowe you not. Bible (AV): Job 23:5 The words which he would answere me. R. Bentley Mr. B. here answers to a Question, that never was ask'd him. Pope The mighty Czar might answer, he was drunk. Tennyson Will she answer if I call? Joyce Answering an ad?..Yes, Mr Bloom said. Town traveller. Scott Fitzgerald 'Where is he from, I mean? And what does he do?' 'Now you're started on the subject,' she answered with a wan smile. R. Graves I wrote, but he did not answer. R. P. Warren I said I would like to answer any questions they had. S. Bellow Everybody asks the same questions. You get tired of answering. W. Faulkner Have they got him? Answer me. L. Durrell Melissa still writes the spirited nonchalant letters which I have such difficulty in answering.
b. Reply impertinently (to). Also (colloq.) answer back. E16.
Lytton Hush, Frank, never answer your father. H. G. Wells The King..admonishes him with evident severity...Against all Etiquette he answers back.
verb trans. & intrans. Respond antiphonally or canonically (to); make a responsive sound, echo. OE.
Bible (AV): 1 Samuel 18:7 The women answered one another, as they played. Dryden Both alike inspir'd To sing, and answer as the Song requir'd. Pope The woods shall answer, and their echo ring.
verb intrans. & trans. Act in response to (a signal), acknowledge (a signal); react to a summons from (a knock, bell, etc.). L16.
answering machine a tape recorder which supplies a recorded answer to a telephone call and sometimes also takes messages. answering service a business that receives and answers telephone calls for its clients. answer to (the name of) respond when addressed as, be called.
Joyce Last look at mirror always before she answers the door. S. Hill She went to answer the ringing telephone. A. Ayckbourn I ring someone up and when they answer I say is that 2467. M. Keane She pressed the..bell on the table, and when Breda answered it..she said: 'What did I want?'
verb trans. & intrans. Reply favourably to (a petitioner, a petition). L16.
Bible (AV): Psalms 27:7 Haue mercie also vpon mee, and answere me. Tennyson The Gods have heard it, O Icenian!..Doubt not ye the Gods have answer'd. O. Wilde When the gods wish to punish us they answer our prayers.
verb trans. & intrans. Solve (a problem); respond to (a test of knowledge etc.). M18.
A. J. Cronin When he began the written part of the examination.., he found himself answering the papers with a blind automatism.
III. Correspond.
a. verb intrans. Correspond to. ME.
Bible (AV): Galatians 4:25 This Agar..answereth to Ierusalem, which now is.
b. verb trans. Correspond to. arch. exc. in answer the description. M16.
J. Locke The Terms of our Law..will hardly find Words that answer them in the Spanish, or Italian.
verb trans. Return the (esp. hostile) action of. LME-L16.
verb trans. Give back in kind, return. L16.
Spenser Well did the squire perceive himselfe too weake To aunswere his defiaunce in the field. J. Keble Answering love for love.
verb trans. & intrans. Act in sympathy or conformity (with); be responsive (to). E17.
Shakespeare Tempest I come To answer thy best pleasure. Dickens The girl instantly answered to the action in her sculling.
answerer noun E16.
answeringly adverb (rare) correspondingly LME.

blooming (oh)



used for emphasizing a remark, especially when you are angry or surprised
::It's blooming ridiculous!