parry

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To deflect or ward off (a fencing thrust, for example).
2. v. To deflect, evade, or avoid: He skillfully parried the question with a clever reply.
3. v. To deflect or ward off a thrust or blow.
4. n. The deflecting or warding off of a thrust or blow, as in fencing.
5. n. An evasive answer or action.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A defensive movement in fencing.
2. n. A fencing-bout; hence, a brilliant attack and defense of any kind.
3. To turn aside; ward off: as, to parry a thrust or a blow, or an inquisitive question.
4. To avoid; evade.
5. To act on the defensive, as in warding off a thrust or an argument; fence.

Wiktionary

1. n. A defensive or deflective action; an act of parrying.
2. n. fencing A simple defensive action designed to deflect an attack, performed with the forte of the blade.
3. v. To avoid, deflect, or ward off (an attack).

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To ward off; to stop, or to turn aside.
2. v. To avoid; to shift or put off; to evade.
3. v. To ward off, evade, or turn aside something, as a blow, argument, etc.
4. n. A warding off of a thrust or blow, as in sword and bayonet exercises or in boxing; hence, figuratively, a defensive movement in debate or other intellectual encounter.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. (fencing) blocking a lunge or deflecting it with a circular motion of the sword
2. v. avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)
3. v. impede the movement of (an opponent or a ball)
4. n. a return punch (especially by a boxer)