Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Answer \An"swer\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Answered}; p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Answering}.] [OE. andswerien, AS. andswerian, andswarian,
   to answer, fr. andswaru, n., answer. See {Answer}, n.]
   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. --Shak.

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

            The reasoning was not and could not be answered.
                                                  --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. --Shak.
      (b) To render account to or for.

                I will . . . send him to answer thee. --Shak.
      (c) To atone; to be punished for.

                And grievously hath C[ae]zar answered it.
                                                  --Shak.
      (d) To be opposite to; to face.

                The windows answering each other, we could just
                discern the glowing horizon them. --Gilpin.
      (e) To be or act an equivalent to, or as adequate or
          sufficient for; to serve for; to repay. [R.]

                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.
                                                  --Swift.

Answer \An"swer\, v. i.
   1. To speak or write by way of return (originally, to a
      charge), or in reply; to make response.

            There was no voice, nor any that answered. --1 Kings
                                                  xviii. 26.

   2. To make a satisfactory response or return. Hence: To
      render account, or to be responsible; to be accountable;
      to make amends; as, the man must answer to his employer
      for the money intrusted to his care.

            Let his neck answer for it, if there is any martial
            law.                                  --Shak.

   3. To be or act in return. Hence:
      (a) To be or act by way of compliance, fulfillment,
          reciprocation, or satisfaction; to serve the purpose;
          as, gypsum answers as a manure on some soils.

                Do the strings answer to thy noble hand?
                                                  --Dryden.
      (b) To be opposite, or to act in opposition.
      (c) To be or act as an equivalent, or as adequate or
          sufficient; as, a very few will answer.
      (d) To be or act in conformity, or by way of
          accommodation, correspondence, relation, or
          proportion; to conform; to correspond; to suit; --
          usually with to.

                That the time may have all shadow and silence in
                it, and the place answer to convenience. --Shak.

                If this but answer to my just belief, I 'll
                remember you.                     --Shak.

                As in water face answereth to face, so the heart
                of man to man.                    --Pro?. xxvii.
                                                  19.

Answer \An"swer\, n. [OE. andsware, AS. andswaru; and against +
   swerian to swear. ?, ?. See {Anti-}, and {Swear}, and cf. 1st
   {un-}.]
   1. A reply to a change; a defense.

            At my first answer no man stood with me. --2 Tim.
                                                  iv. 16.

   2. Something said or written in reply to a question, a call,
      an argument, an address, or the like; a reply.

            A soft answer turneth away wrath.     --Prov. xv. 1.

            I called him, but he gave me no answer. --Cant. v.
                                                  6.

   3. Something done in return for, or in consequence of,
      something else; a responsive action.

            Great the slaughter is Here made by the Roman; great
            the answer be Britons must take.      --Shak.

   4. A solution, the result of a mathematical operation; as,
      the answer to a problem.

   5. (Law) A counter-statement of facts in a course of
      pleadings; a confutation of what the other party has
      alleged; a responsive declaration by a witness in reply to
      a question. In Equity, it is the usual form of defense to
      the complainant's charges in his bill. --Bouvier.

   Syn: Reply; rejoinder; response. See {Reply}.

Source : WordNet®

answer
     n 1: a statement (either spoken or written) that is made in reply
          to a question or request or criticism or accusation; "I
          waited several days for his answer"; "he wrote replies
          to several of his critics" [syn: {reply}, {response}]
     2: a statement that solves a problem or explains how to solve
        the problem; "they were trying to find a peaceful
        solution"; "the answers were in the back of the book"; "he
        computed the result to four decimal places" [syn: {solution},
         {result}, {resolution}, {solvent}]
     3: the speech act of replying to a question [ant: {question}]
     4: the principle pleading by the defendant in response to
        plaintiff's complaint; in criminal law it consists of the
        defendant's plea of `guilty' or `not guilty' (or nolo
        contendere); in civil law it must contain denials of all
        allegations in the plaintiff's complaint that the
        defendant hopes to controvert and it can contain
        affirmative defenses or counterclaims
     5: a nonverbal reaction; "his answer to any problem was to get
        drunk"; "their answer was to sue me"
     v 1: reply or respond to; "She didn't want to answer"; "answer
          the question"; "We answered that we would accept the
          invitation" [syn: {reply}, {respond}]
     2: give the correct answer or solution to; "answer a question";
        "answer the riddle"
     3: respond to a signal; "answer the door"; "answer the
        telephone"
     4: understand the meaning of; "The question concerning the
        meaning of life cannot be answered" [syn: {resolve}]
     5: give a defence or refutation of (a charge) or in (an
        argument); "The defendant answered to all the charges of
        the prosecution"
     6: be liable or accountable; "She must answer for her actions"
     7: be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity;
        "A few words would answer"; "This car suits my purpose
        well"; "Will $100 do?"; "A 'B' grade doesn't suffice to
        get me into medical school"; "Nothing else will serve"
        [syn: {suffice}, {do}, {serve}]
     8: match or correspond; "The drawing of the suspect answers to
        the description the victim gave"
     9: be satisfactory for; meet the requirements of or serve the
        purpose of; "This may answer her needs"
     10: react to a stimulus or command; "The steering of my new car
         answers to the slightest touch"