rebut
/ɹɪˈbʌt/ verb
Forms rebuts rebutting rebutted
- verb To drive back or beat back; to repulse.
- verb To deny the truth of something, especially by presenting arguments that disprove it.
Synonyms
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English rebutten, rebouten, from Old French reboter, rebuter, rebouter, etc., from re- + boter, buter, bouter (“to butt”). Entered English around 1302-1307.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To drive or beat back; to repulse.
- verb To contradict, meet, or oppose by argument, plea, or countervailing proof. Abbott.
- verb To retire; to recoil. [Obs.] Spenser.
- verb To make, or put in, an answer, as to a plaintiff's surrejoinder.
Etymology [OF. reb to repulse, drive back; pref. re- + bouter to push, thrust. See 1st Butt, Boutade.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “rebut”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details