REJOINDER

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does rejoinder mean? 

• REJOINDER (noun)
  The noun REJOINDER has 2 senses:

1. a quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one)

2. (law) a pleading made by a defendant in response to the plaintiff's replication

  Familiarity information: REJOINDER used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• REJOINDER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

comeback; counter; rejoinder; replication; retort; return; riposte

Context example:

it brought a sharp rejoinder from the teacher

Hypernyms ("rejoinder" is a kind of...):

reply; response (the speech act of continuing a conversational exchange)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "rejoinder"):

back talk; backtalk; lip; mouth; sass; sassing (an impudent or insolent rejoinder)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(law) a pleading made by a defendant in response to the plaintiff's replication

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("rejoinder" is a kind of...):

pleading ((law) a statement in legal and logical form stating something on behalf of a party to a legal proceeding)

Domain category:

jurisprudence; law (the collection of rules imposed by authority)

 Context examples 

"No, but that she is loved," was the smiling rejoinder.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

On looking back, I realize that the remark was too obvious to make rejoinder necessary.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

"Madam, I should like some tea," was the sole rejoinder she got.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

"Now, there you err," was the smiling rejoinder.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

“Dat Buck two devils,” was François’s rejoinder.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

My father, however, did not appear to be elated at my mother’s triumphant rejoinder.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"You've forfeited your rights to own that dog," was the rejoinder.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

It chanced however that, on one of these mornings when the evil mood was upon her, Agatha the young tire-woman, thinking to please her mistress, began also to toss her head and make tart rejoinder to the teacher's questions.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Lady Russell let this pass, and only said in rejoinder, I own that to be able to regard you as the future mistress of Kellynch, the future Lady Elliot, to look forward and see you occupying your dear mother's place, succeeding to all her rights, and all her popularity, as well as to all her virtues, would be the highest possible gratification to me.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Miss Lavinia was going on to make some rejoinder, when Miss Clarissa, who appeared to be incessantly beset by a desire to refer to her brother Francis, struck in again: If Dora's mama, she said, when she married our brother Francis, had at once said that there was not room for the family at the dinner-table, it would have been better for the happiness of all parties.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)