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riposte (noun):

1 : a fencer’s quick return thrust following a parry
2 : a retaliatory verbal sally : retort
3 : a retaliatory maneuver or measure

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology :In the sport of fencing, a riposte is a counterattack made after successfully fending off one’s opponent. English speakers borrowed the name for this particular maneuver from French in the early 1700s, but the French had simply modified the Italian word risposta, which literally means “answer.” Ultimately these words come from the Latin verb respondere, meaning “to respond.” It seems fitting that riposte has since come full circle to now refer to a quick and witty response performed as a form of retaliation.

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