retort2 (retort)

[OF. retorte = Sp. Pg. re torta, Shall we, in this detested guise, With shame, with hunger, and with horror stay, Griping our bowels with retorqued thoughts. fem. of retort us , pp. of retorquere , twist back: see retort1 .] In chem . and the arts , a ve el of gla , earthenware, metal, etc., employed for the purpose of dis- tilling or effecting de- composition by the aid of heat. Gla re- torts are commonly used for distilling liquids, and consist of a flask-shaped ve el, to which a long neck is attached. The liquid to be distilled is placed in the flask, and heat is applied. The products of distillation condense in the cold neck of the retort, and are collected in a suit- able receiver. Retorts are sometimes provided with a stopper so placed above the bulb as to permit the intro- duction of liquids without soiling the neck. The name is also generally given to almost any apparatus in which solid substances, such as coal, wood, or bones, are sub- mitted to destructive distillation, as retorts for producing coal-gas, which vary much both in dimensions and in shape. retort2 (rē-tôrt'), v . t . [ retort2 , n .] In metal ., to separate by means of a retort, as gold from an amalgam. Gold is always obtained in the form of an amalgam in stamping quartz-rock, and frequently, also, in washing auriferous detritus with the sluice. The amalgam placed in an iron retort, and then heated, when mer- cury pa es off in vapor and is condensed in a suitable re- ceiver-the gold, always more or le alloyed with silver, remaining behind. See gold . retorted (re-tôr'ted), p . a . [Pp. of retort1 , v.] 11. Twisted back; bent back; turned back. He flies indeed, but threatens as he flies, With heart indignant and retorted eyes. IMG:content-2123.png:[blocks in formation] retort-house (rē-tôrt hous), n. That part of a gas-works in which the retorts are situated. retortion (re-tôr shon), n. [ retorsio ( n- ), a twisting or bending back, re- torquere , pp. retort us , twist back: see retort1 , and cf. retorsion .] 1. The act of turning or bending back. Our Sea, whose divers-brancht retortions Divide the World in three vnequall Portions. As for the seeming reasons which this opinion leads unto, they will appear, like the staff of Egypt, either to break under, or by an easy retortion to pierce and wound itself. J. Spencer, Prodigies, p. 253. ( Latham .) 2. The act of giving back or retaliating any- thing, as an accusation or an indignity; a re- Complaints and retortions are the common refuge of causes that want better arguments. Lively Oracles (1678), p. 24. ( Latham .) retortive (rē-tôrʼtiv), a . [ retort1 + -ive .] Re- torting; turning backward; retrospective. [Rare.] From all his guileful plots the veil they drew, With eye retortive look'd creation thro. retort-scaler (re-tôrt'skā"lėr), n. An instru- ment for removing mechanically the incrust a- tion from the interior of coal-gas retorts. The scale is sometimes removed by combustion. reto (re-tos'), v . t. [ to .] To to back or again. retouch (re-tuch'), v . t. [ toucher = Sp. Pg. retocar = It. ritoccare ; as re- + touch .] To touch or touch up again; improve by new touches; revise; specifically, in the fine arts, to improve, as a painting, by new touches; go over a second time, as a work of art, in order to restore or strengthen a faded part, make additions, or remove blemishes, for its general improvement. He sighs, departs, and leaves th' accomplish'd plan, That he has touch'd, retouch'd , many a long day Labor'd, and many a night pursu'd in dreams. That piece By Pietro of Cortona - probably His scholar Ciro Ferri may have retouched . Browning , Ring and Book, I. 216. These [frescos] are in very bad preservation - much faded and retouched . The Century , XXXVII. 543. retouch (re-tuch'), n. [F. retouche = Sp. Pg. retoque = It. ritocco ; from the verb: see retouch , v .] A repeated touch; an additional touch giv- en in revision; specifically, in the fine arts , ad- ditional work done on that which might prev i- ously have been regarded as finished. So many Touches and Retouches , when the Face is fin- Steele , Tender Husband, iv. 1. To write con amore, with perpetual touches and retouches ,. and an unwearied pursuit of unattainable perfection, was, I think, no part of his character. Johnson, Dryden. retoucher (rē-tuch'ėr), n . One who retouches; specifically, in photog . , an operative employed to correct defects in both negatives and prints, whether such defects come from the proce , or from spots, imperfections, etc., on the subject represented. Drayton , Of his Lady's not Coming to London. From under the adductor a pair of delicate muscles runs to the basal edge of the labrum, so as to retract the whole mouth. Darwin , Cirriped i a, p. 39. The platform when retracted is adapted to pa over the floor proper, leaving, when extended, a surface over which things may be easily and safely moved. Sci . Amer ., N. S., LIX. 262. The Engineer , LXVI. 280. retouching (rē-tuch'ing), n . [Verbal n. of re- touch , v .] 1. The act of adding touches, as to a work of art, after its approximate completion. 2. To withdraw; remove. His almost invariable desire of retouching ... at times amounted to repainting. W.Sharp, D. G. Ro etti, p. 154. Afterthoughts, retouch ings , finish, will be of profit only so far as they too really serve to bring out the original, in- itiative, germinating sense in them. Specifically-2. In photog ., the art and proce finishing and correcting negatives or pos i- tives, with the object of increasing the beauty of the picture or of obliterating defects of the sensitive film. The work is performed, according to the nece ities of the case, by applying a pigment to the front or back of the negative, by shading with lead-pencils, by stippling with brushes, or by means of a mechanical sprayer, on the film, especially to stop out hard lines in the face, impurities on the skin, etc. In order to obtain dark lines or spots in the finished print, the film of the negative is sometimes carefully scraped away with a knife at the desired places. The retouching of the print or positive is done in water-colors or India ink. retouching-desk (re-tuchʼing-desk), n . Same as retouching -frame. retouching-easel (re-tuch'ing-ē" 'ing-ē"zl), n. In photog ., same as retouching - frame . retouching-frame (re-tuch'ing-frām), n . In photog ., a desk formed of fine ground gla set in a frame, adjustable in angle, used for retouch- ing negatives. The negative is laid on the ground gla , a support being provided to hold it at a convenient height. A mirror under the desk reflects light upward through the ground gla and the negative, and the operator is often further aided by a hood over the desk to shade his eyes and prevent the interference of rays from above with the light reflected through the negative. Also called retouching easel and retouching - desk . Compare retouching - table . retouching-table (re-tuch'ing-tā"bl), n. In photog., a retouching-frame fixed on a stand with legs, so that it needs no independent sup- port. retouch ment (rē-tuch'ment), n. [ retouch + -ment.] The act or proce of retouching, or the state of being retouched. The Death of Breuse sans Pitie - as it now appears, at any rate, after its retouch ment is the crudest in colour and most grotesque in treatment. retour (re-tör'), n . [F. retour , OF. ret or , retur , retour , a return: see return1, n.] 1. A return- ing.-2. In Scots law , an extract from chancery of the service of an heir to his ancestor. retoured (re-törd'), a . [ retour + -ed2.] In Scots law , expre ed or enumerated in a retour. -Retoured duty, the valuation, both new and old, of lands expre ed in the retour to the chancery, when any retournt, v. An obsolete form of return1 . retrace (re-tras'), v . t . [ retra ar = Sp. retrasar = Pg. retraçar ; as re- + trace1 .] 1. To trace or track back- ward; go over again in the reverse direction: as, to retrace one's steps. IMG:content-2124.png:[blocks in formation] The orthography of others eminent for their learning was as remarkable, and sometimes more eruditely whim. sical, either in the attempt to retrace the etymology, or to modify exotic words to a native origin. 3. To trace again; renew the lines of: as, to retrace the defaced outline of a drawing. This letter, traced in pencil-characters, Guido as easily got retraced in ink By his wife's pen, guided from end to end. Browning , Ring and Book, I. 122. He regales his list'ning wife With all th' adventures of his early life, Retracing thus his frolics. Cowper , Tirocinium, 1. 332. retraceable (re-tra'sa-bl), a . [ retrace + -able.] Capable of being retraced. Imp . Dict . Such admirable parts in all I spye, From none of them I can retract myne eye. Heywood, Dialogues (Works, ed. Pearson, 1874, VI. 249). The exce of fertility, which contributed so much to their miscarriages, was retracted and cut off. 3. To take back; undo; recall; recant: as, to retract an as secund a cion Paris should ne'er retract what he hath done, Nor faint in the pursuit. Shak . , T. and C., ii. 2. 141. Life of Thomas Ellwood (ed. Howells), p. 360. She began, therefore, to retract her false step as fast as she could. Scott , Heart of Mid-Lothian, xxvi. 4. To contract; le en in length; shorten.=Syn. 3. Recant , Revoke , etc. (see renounce ), disown, withdraw. See list under abjure . 2. To undo or unsay what has been done or said before; recall or take back a declaration or a conce ion; recant. She will, and she will not; she grants, denies, Consents, retracts , advances, and then flies. Granville, To Myra. retract (rē-trakt'), n . [ LL.retract us , a draw- ing back, ML. retirement, retreat, retra- here, pp. retract us , draw back: see retract , v . Cf. retreat1, retrait .] 1. A falling back; a retreat. 21. A retractation; recantation. Saincte Augustyne retractability (re-trak-ta-bil'i-ti), n. [ tractable + -ity (see -bility ).] "The property of being retractable; capacity for being retracted. Also retractibility . retractation There are perhaps no contracts or engagements, except those that relate to money or money's worth, of which one can venture to say that there ought to be no liberty whatever of retractation . J. S. Mill , On Liberty, v. retracted (re-trak'ted), p . a . 1. In her ., couped by a line diagonal to their main direction: said of ordinaries or subordinaries: thus, three bars or pales are retracted when cut off bendwise or bendwise sinister.-2. In entom ., permanently received or contained in a hollow of another part.-3. In bot . , drawn back, as (sometimes) the radicle between the cotyledons; bent back. [Rare or obsolete.] - Retracted abdomen, an abdomen nearly hidden in the thorax or cephalothorax, as in the harvest-spiders. - Retracted head, a head, concealed in the thorax as far as the front, which cannot be protruded at will. - Retracted mouth, a mouth in which the trophi cannot be extended, as in most beetles: correlated with retractile mouth. =Syn. See retractile.