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Answer, vb., 1) to reply; a) absolutely: Gentl. I, 3, 91. II, 2, 13. 7, 89. Meas. I, 2, 18. III, 1, 136. Err. II, 2, 195. V, 89. Ado II, 1, 114. H8 V, 3, 163 etc.
b) “to a. one:” Lucr. 1459. Wiv. IV, 1, 20. Err. I, 2, 77. II, 2, 12. IV, 1, 60. Mids. III, 2, 18. H5 V, 2, 319. H6C III, 3, 66 etc. == to serve one well, to turn one off with a reply: “I am not able to a. the Welsh flannel,” Wiv. V, 5, 172. “I am --ed,” LLL I, 2, 33. “the clerk is --ed,” Ado II, 1, 115. “are you --ed?” Merch. IV, 1, 62. “how a beggar should be --ed,” Merch. IV, 1, 62 “an you will not be --ed with reason,” As II, 7, 100. must she not then be --ed? (i.e. acquiesce in that answer) Tw. II, 4, 95. to a. one to sth.: “a. me unto this question,” H4A II, 3, 88. “a. me to what I ask you,” Mcb. IV, 1, 60.
c) to a. to one == to reply to one: “what canst thou a. to my majesty?” H6B IV, 7, 29. “a. to us,” Cor. III, 3, 61.
d) to a. sth. == to reply to sth.: “which heavily he --s with a groan,” Sonn. 50, 11. “I will a. it straight,” Wiv. I, 1, 118. Mids. III, 1, 12. Merch IV, 1, 42. V, 299. H4A I, 3, 66. H6A III, 1, 7. H6B IV, 10, 56. H6C III, 3, 259. Rom. II, 4, 10. Ant. III, 6, 30. “a. me one doubt,” H6C III, 3, 238. Metaphorically == to return: “she --ed my affection,” Wiv. IV, 6, 10. “they cannot a. my distress,” Tit. III, 1, 38. --ed my steps too loud (resounded too loud) Cymb. IV, 2, 215.
e) to a. sth == to say sth. in answer: “what canst thou a.?” H6B IV, 7, 29. “what --s Clarence?” H6C IV, 6, 45.
f) to a. to sth.: “a. to this,” Meas. II, 4, 60. Ado IV, 1, 86. All's II, 2, 57. IV, 3, 145. H6C IV, 6, 45. V, 5, 21. Rom. II, 5, 35. == to yield answer on occasion of a peculiar address: “they will not a. to that epithet,” LLL V, 2, 170. “to make you a. truly to your name,” Ado IV, 1, 80. “I a to that name,” V, 4, 73. “Coriolanus he would not a. to,” Cor. V, 1, 12. Again, to yield answer on occasion of certain questions: “you have --ed to his reputation with the duke and to his valour: what is his honesty?” Alls IV, 3, 277. “where we may leisurely each one demand and a. to his part performed,” Wint. V, 3, 153.
2) to reply to one who calls or knocks at the door, to open: “I pray you, a. him,” Meas. I, 4, 14 (cf. v. 8). “knock but at the gate, and he himself will a.” H4B I, 1, 6. Similarly: “a. your summons,” Tp. IV, 131. “tapsters --ing every call,” Ven. 849.
3) to agree with, to correspond: “let it a. every strain for strain,” Ado V, 1, 12. “since the heavens have shaped my body so, let hell make crook'd my mind to a. it,” H6C V, 6, 79. if seconds had --ed him (== had done like him) Cymb. V, 3, 91. “if thy sweet virtue a. not thy show,” Sonn. 93, 14. “to a. his desire,” Lucr. 1606. Ven. Ded. Lucr. 1606 Tp. I, 2, 190. Meas. III, 1, 253. 2, 269. V, 415. Ado II, 1, 241. Ado II, 1, 241 Err. III, 1, 20. Troil. I, 3, 15. Oth. I, 3, 278. Cymb. V, 5, 450. Followed by to: “that the place a. to convenience,” Meas. III, 1, 258. “you bear it as --ing to the weight,” Ant. V, 2, 102. “doublet, hat, hose, all that a. to them,” Cymb. III, 4, 173. “if this but a. to my just belief,” Per. V, 1, 239. Absolutely: “I could not a. in that course of honour,” Alls V, 3, 98, == act according to her invitation.
4) to satisfy: “our hopes are --ed,” Caes. V, 1, 1. “a. me to-morrow,” Meas. II, 4, 167. As II, 7, 99. Hence == to perform: “to a. other business,” Tp. I, 2, 367. “to a. matters of this consequence,” H5 II, 4, 146. And == to pay: “her audit, though delay'd, --ed must be,” Sonn. 126, 11. “that praise which Collatine doth owe enchanted Tarquin --s,” Lucr. 83. Err. IV, 1, 82. Wint. V, 3, 8. H4A I, 3, 185. H4B V, 1, 27. H6C II, 6, 55. Cor. V, 6, 67. Ant. III, 12, 33. And intr.: “to bring me down must a. for your raising?” Alls II, 3, 120.
5) To render account: “thou art come to a. a stony adversary,” Merch. IV, 1, 3. H4A II, 4, 565. Cor. III, 1, 162. Cor. III, 1, 162 And hence == to face, to match: “dare as well a. a man,” Ado V, 1, 89. “how we shall a. him,” John V, 7, 60. “all these bold fears I have --ed,” H4B IV, 5, 197. “here I stand to a. thee,” H6C II, 2, 96. “who shall a. him?” Troil. II, 1, 139. “if Hector will to morrow be --ed,” Troil. III, 3, 35 (met in combat). “ready to a. us,” Cor. I, 2, 19. “to a. all the city,” 4, 52. “he will a. the letter's master,” Rom. II, 4, 11. “to a. perils,” Caes. IV, 1, 47. “to a. this extremity of the skies,” Lr. III, 4, 106. V, 3, 152. Ant. III, 13, 27. Irregular construction: “unless you undertake that with me which with as much safety you might a. him,” Tw. III, 4, 273. Absolutely == to be ready for combat: “to a. royally in our defences,” H5 II, 4, 3. “arming to a. in a night alarm,” Troil. I, 3, 171. “while you have throats to a.” Tim. V, 1, 182. “--ing before we do demand of them,” Caes. V, 1, 6 (a quibble). “we will a. on their charge,” Caes. V, 1, 6
6) not to let slip, to profit by: “a. the time of request,” Alls I, 1, 168. “a. the vantage of his anger,” Cor. II, 3, 267.
7) to render account of: “I shall a. that better to the commonwealth than you . . .” Merch. III, 5, 40. Meas. II, 1, 39. IV, 2, 129. “it would scarce be --ed,” Tw. III, 3, 28. Wint. I, 2, 83. H4A III, 3, 198. H6B II, 1, 41. III, 1, 133. IV, 7, 47. Tit. II, 3, 298. Hml. III, 4, 176. Lr. I, 3, 10. Cymb. III, 5, 42. Followed by for: “we that have good wits have much to a. for,” As V, 1, 13. Absolutely == to be responsible: “only thus far you shall a.” Cymb. I, 4, 170.
8) to warrant, to be answerable for: “I'll a. the coinage,” H4A IV, 2, 8. “a. my life my judgment,” Lr. I, 1, 153. 3, 10. II, 2, 154.
9) to atone for: “this shall be --ed,” Wiv. I, 1, 117. “--ing one foul wrong,” Meas. II, 2, 103. III, 2, 188. IV, 3, 172. Err. IV, 3, 31. Tw. III, 3, 33. John IV, 2, 89. H6A I, 3, 52. R3 IV, 2, 96. Caes. III, 2, 85. Ant. V, 2, 178. Followed by for: “if the first had --ed for his deed,” Meas. II, 2, 93. “could all but a. for that peevish brat?” R3 I, 3, 194.
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