reply

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To give an answer in speech or writing.
2. v. To respond by an action or gesture.
3. v. To echo.
4. v. To return gunfire or an attack: The big guns replied.
5. v. Law To respond to a defendant's plea.
6. v. To say or give as an answer: I replied that I was unable to help them. See Synonyms at answer.
7. n. A response in speech or writing.
8. n. A response by an action or gesture.
9. n. Law A plaintiff's formal response in answer to that of a defendant.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To fold back.
2. To return for an answer.
3. To make answer; answer; respond.
4. To do or give something in return for something else; make return or response; answer by suitable action; meet an attack: as, to reply to the enemy's fire.
5. In law, to answer a defendant's plea. The defendant pleads in bar to the plaintiff's declaration; the plaintiff replies to the defendant's plea in bar.
6. n. An answer; a response.
7. n. The act or power of answering, especially with fitness or conclusiveness.
8. n. That which is done for or in consequence of something else; an answer by deeds; a counter-attack: as, his reply was a blow.
9. n. In music, the answer of a fugue. Synonyms and Rejoinder, retort.

Wiktionary

1. v. transitive, intransitive To give a written or spoken response, especially to a question, request, accusation or criticism; to answer.
2. v. intransitive To act or gesture in response.
3. v. intransitive To repeat something back; to echo.
4. n. A written or spoken response; part of a conversation.
5. n. Something given in reply.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To make a return in words or writing; to respond; to answer.
2. v. (Law) To answer a defendant's plea.
3. v. Figuratively, to do something in return for something done
4. v. To return for an answer.
5. n. That which is said, written, or done in answer to what is said, written, or done by another; an answer; a response.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. react verbally
2. n. a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
3. n. the speech act of continuing a conversational exchange