return

Topic: VOTING

Date:	1300-1400
Language:	Old French
Origin:	retourner, from tourner 'to turn'

return
1 verb

re‧turn1 S2 W1 See pronunciation table in "How to use dictionary" pages

go back

[intransitive] to go or come back to a place where you were before [= go back, come back]:

Look up a word starting with D or S for samples of headword or sentence pronunciations on the LDOCE CD-ROM

It was forty five minutes before she returned.

return to

Are you planning to return to Spain?

return from

I have just returned from five months in Zimbabwe.

Alison decided to return home.

He left his country, never to return.

! In spoken English it is more usual to use go/come back.

give back

[transitive] to give or send something back, or to put something back in its place [= give back, put back]

return something to something/somebody

Carson returned the notebook to his pocket.

I returned the books to the library unread.

Please complete the enclosed application form and return it in the envelope attached.

! In spoken English it is more usual to use take/bring/give back.

feeling/situation

[intransitive] if a feeling, situation etc returns, it starts to exist or happen again [= come back]:

If the pain returns, take two of the tablets with some water.

David could feel his anger returning.

return to

when peace finally returns to this country

do the same

[transitive] to do something to someone because they have done the same thing to you:

He smiled at her warmly and she returned his smile.

I phoned him twice on Friday and left messages, but he never returned my call (=he didn't phone me).

Thanks very much. I'll return the favour (=do something to help you) some day.

The police did not return fire (=shoot back at someone who shot at them).

answer

[transitive] written to answer someone:

'Yes,' he returned. 'I'm a lucky man.'

ball

[transitive]DS to hit the ball back to your opponent in a game such as tennis

elect

[transitive usually passive] British EnglishPPV to elect someone to a political position, especially to represent you in parliament

return somebody to something

Yeo was returned to Parliament with an increased majority.

return somebody as something

At the election she was returned as MP for Brighton.

return a verdict

SCL when a jury return their verdict, they say whether someone is guilty or not

profit

[transitive]BF to make a profit:

The group returned increased profits last year.

return to something

phrasal verb

1 to change back to a previous state or situation, or to change something back:

David waited for a moment to let his breathing return to normal.

return something to something

The new chairman made the cuts necessary to return the company to profitability.

2 to start doing an activity, job etc that you were doing before you stopped or were interrupted [= go back]:

Nicholas looked up, grinned, then returned to his newspaper.

The children return to school next week.

Ellie needed to return to work soon after the birth.

3 formal to start discussing or dealing with a subject that you have already mentioned:

I will return to this problem in a moment.

Definition of return from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English within
the topic VOTING

Explore VOTING Topic

abstain abstention adopt ballot ballot box by-election cloture constituency constituent deliver deposit deselect division doorstep elect election elective elector electoral electorate exit poll franchise general election lobby majority motion no plurality poll polling polling booth polling station pollster PR primary primary election proportional representation recount re-elect referendum resolution resolve return rig run run-off show of hands slate spoil sponsor(n) sponsor(v) stronghold suffrage teller vote vote of confidence voter ward write-in X yea yes

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