1. people who make quick, clever, or sharp replies
2. closed vessels used for distillation or decomposition by heat
Usage: technical; chemistry

Examples

• The debate team was full of skilled retorters who could counter any argument.
• She was known as one of the wittiest retorters in the class.
• The chemistry lab contained several glass retorters for the distillation process.
• Industrial retorters are used to process coal into gas.
• Quick retorters often dominate conversations with their sharp responses.
• The old retorters in the laboratory needed to be replaced with modern equipment.