‖n.; pl. Ansæ [ L., a handle. ] (Astron.) A name given to either of the projecting ends of Saturn's ring. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. ansatus, fr. ansa a handle. ] Having a handle. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Her.) Having the extremities terminate in the heads of eagles, lions, etc.; as, an anserated cross. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ L., geese. ] (Zool.) A Linnæan order of aquatic birds swimming by means of webbed feet, as the duck, or of lobed feet, as the grebe. In this order were included the geese, ducks, auks, divers, gulls, petrels, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. (Zool.) A division of birds including the geese, ducks, and closely allied forms. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 a family name used in some classifications for the swans.
Syn. -- subfamily Anserinae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ L. anserinus, fr. anser a goose. ] 1. Pertaining to, or resembling, a goose, or the skin of a goose. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) Pertaining to the Anseres. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. anser a goose. ] Resembling a goose; silly; simple. Sydney Smith. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. andsware, AS. andswaru; and against + swerian to swear. √177, 196. See Anti-, and Swear, and cf. 1st un-. ] 1. A reply to a charge; a defense. [ 1913 Webster ]

At my first answer no man stood with me. 2 Tim. iv. 16. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Something said or written in reply to a question, a call, an argument, an address, or the like; a reply. [ 1913 Webster ]

A soft answer turneth away wrath. Prov. xv. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

I called him, but he gave me no answer. Cant. v. 6. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Something done in return for, or in consequence of, something else; a responsive action. [ 1913 Webster ]

Great the slaughter is
Here made by the Roman; great the answer be
Britons must take. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A solution, the result of a mathematical operation; as, the answer to a problem. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Law) A counter-statement of facts in a course of pleadings; a confutation of what the other party has alleged; a responsive declaration by a witness in reply to a question. In Equity, it is the usual form of defense to the complainant's charges in his bill. Bouvier. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Reply; rejoinder; response. See Reply. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Answered p. pr. & vb. n. Answering. ] [ OE. andswerien, AS. andswerian, andswarian, to answer, fr. andswaru, n., answer. See Answer, n. ] 1. To speak in defense against; to reply to in defense; as, to answer a charge; to answer an accusation. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To speak or write in return to, as in return to a call or question, or to a speech, declaration, argument, or the like; to reply to (a question, remark, etc.); to respond to. [ 1913 Webster ]

She answers him as if she knew his mind. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

So spake the apostate angel, though in pain: . . .
And him thus answered soon his bold compeer. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To respond to satisfactorily; to meet successfully by way of explanation, argument, or justification, and the like; to refute. [ 1913 Webster ]

No man was able to answer him a word. Matt. xxii. 46. [ 1913 Webster ]

These shifts refuted, answer thine appellant. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The reasoning was not and could not be answered. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To be or act in return or response to. Hence: (a) To be or act in compliance with, in fulfillment or satisfaction of, as an order, obligation, demand; as, he answered my claim upon him; the servant answered the bell. [ 1913 Webster ]

This proud king . . . studies day and night
To answer all the debts he owes unto you. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

(b) To render account to or for. [ 1913 Webster ]

I will . . . send him to answer thee. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

(c) To atone; to be punished for. [ 1913 Webster ]

And grievously hath Cæzar answered it. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

(d) To be opposite to; to face. [ 1913 Webster ]

The windows answering each other, we could just discern the glowing horizon them. Gilpin. [ 1913 Webster ]

(e) To be or act an equivalent to, or as adequate or sufficient for; to serve for; to repay. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Money answereth all things. Eccles. x. 19. [ 1913 Webster ]

(f) To be or act in accommodation, conformity, relation, or proportion to; to correspond to; to suit. [ 1913 Webster ]

Weapons must needs be dangerous things, if they answered the bulk of so prodigious a person. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]