answering

Webster's Dictionary (1913)

“answering” is listed under Answer.

Origin: OE. andswerien, AS. andswerian, andswarian, to answer, fr. andswaru, n., answer. See Answer, noun

1. To speak in defense against; to reply to in defense; as, to answer a charge; to answer an accusation.

2. To speak or write in return to, as in return to a call or question, or to a speech, declaration, argument, or the like; to reply to (a question, remark, etc.); to respond to.

She answers him as if she knew his mind.— William Shakespeare

So spake the apostate angel, though in pain:... And him thus answered soon his bold compeer.— John Milton

3. To respond to satisfactorily; to meet successfully by way of explanation, argument, or justification, and the like; to refute.

No man was able to answer him a word.— Matt. xxii. 46.

These shifts refuted, answer thine appellant.— John Milton

The reasoning was not and could not be answered.— Thomas Babington Macaulay

4. To be or act in return or response to. Hence: (a) To be or act in compliance with, in fulfillment or satisfaction of, as an order, obligation, demand; as, he answered my claim upon him; the servant answered the bell.

This proud king... studies day and night To answer all the debts he owes unto you.— William Shakespeare

(b) To render account to or for.

I will... send him to answer thee.— William Shakespeare

(c) To atone; to be punished for.

And grievously hath Cæzar answered it.— William Shakespeare

(d) To be opposite to; to face.

The windows answering each other, we could just discern the glowing horizon them.— William Gilpin

(e) To be or act an equivalent to, or as adequate or sufficient for; to serve for; to repay. rare

Money answereth all things.— Eccles. x. 19.

(f) To be or act in accommodation, conformity, relation, or proportion to; to correspond to; to suit.

Weapons must needs be dangerous things, if they answered the bulk of so prodigious a person.— Jonathan Swift

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54