/brisk-meaning

/brisk-meaning-etymology-synonyms

-) Adjective.

-) Pronunciation: brɪsk.

-) Etymology: of uncertain origin.

-) Comparative form: brisker. Superlative form: briskest.

-) It is dated from the end of 1300.

-) 1. -) a. (Of an animated being) moving with quickness; quick in action or movement; acting briskly or actively. 

-) Synonyms for “brisk”: active, quick, cheery, nimble, sprightly, energetic, zippy, spry, perk.

-) Antonyms of “brisk”: dull, moped, inactive, sluggish, lazy, slothful.

-) Translation: activo, dinámico, in Spanish; expéditif, actif, dynamique, in French; dinamico, attivo, in Italian.

When the ladies were gone, which was as soon as Amelia could prevail on Mrs. James to depart, Colonel Bath, who had been pretty brisk with champagne at dinner, soon began to display his magnanimity.

Fielding… Amelia… 1751

According to this most pleasing of all naturalists, the microscope discovers that the seminal liquor, not only of males, but of females also, abounds in these moving little animals which have been mentioned above, and that they appear equally brisk in either fluid.

Goldsmith… A History of the Earth… 1774

… so I became sullen and silent, my opponent in an equal degree brisk and loquacious. 

Howard… Rattlin the Reefer… 1834

… the old gentleman came in as brisk as need be.

Dickens… Oliver… 1838

… it was a common saying among their friends, that it was impossible to say which looked the happier, Tim as he sat calmly smiling in his elbow-chair on one side of the fire, or his brisk little wife chatting and laughing, and constantly bustling in and out of hers, on the other.

Dickens… Nicholas… 1839

… she looked brisk with impatience, laughing a low laugh…

G. Meredith… The Shaving… 1856

'Beg pardon, sir,' said a brisk waiter, rubbing the table. 'Wish see bed-room?'

Dickens… Little Dorrit… 1857

-) b. (Of the action or of the motion of an animated being) done with quickness, promptness or activity.

-) Translation: activo, in Spanish; actif, in French; attivo, in Italian.

The group before him consisted of French and Spanish peasants, the inhabitants of a neighbouring hamlet, some of whom were performing a sprightly dance, the women with castanets in their hands, to the sounds of a lute and a tamborine, till, from the brisk melody of France, the music softened into a slow movement....

A. Radcliffe… The Mysteries… 1794

… they proceeded onward at a brisk pace.

Dickens… Barnaby… 1841

They had some medicine in their chest; and this man of sad experience showed Mark how and when to administer it, and how he could best alleviate the sufferings of Martin. His attentions did not stop there; for he was backwards and forwards constantly, and rendered Mark good service in all his brisk attempts to make their situation more endurable.

Dickens… Martin Chuzzlewit… 1844

"It is wonderful," says Pliny, "how the mind is stirred to activity by brisk bodily exercise."

Pater… Marius… 1885

A brisk tattoo of knuckles on the oaken door stopped him. Bill came in, grinning with satisfaction over something.

Bower… The Gringos… 1913

No one made reply to this; it seemed scarcely worth while. Every man of them rode humped away from the wind, his head drawn down as close to his shoulders as might be. Conversation under those conditions was not likely to become brisk.

Bower… The Happy Family… 1910

The bells pretty well covered our horses from their necks to their haunches, a pair of gallant grays urged to their briskest pace by the driver…

Howells… Familiar Spanish Travels… 1913

-) 2. Metaphor:

-) a. (Of a beverage or a liquor) agreeably sharp; spirited; effervescent.

-) Antonyms: unspirited, insipid, flat, stale.

-) Translation: brusco, in Italian; agréablement spiritueux, in French; agradablemente espiritoso, in Spanish.

And the Bavarian beer, my dear friend, how good and brisk and light it is!

Thackeray… Roundabout Papers… 1860

-) b. (Of the air) fresh, keen.

The air was brisk.  

B. Disraeli… Venetia… 1837

The sun was bright, the air brisk and invigorating.

Thackeray… The History of Pendennis… 1850

-) c. (Of wind, fire, cold, shower, etc) vigorous.

We had been two days almost totally becalmed, when, a brisk gale rising as we were in sight in Dunkirk, we saw a vessel making full sail towards us.

Fielding… Mr. Jonathan Wild… 1743 

… the fire must be brisk and clear.

The Cook and Housewife’s Manual… 1826

A brisk shower, with severe thunder and lightning, came on about dusk

Poe… Arthur… 1838

When the entire chimney had thus been raised, and had been properly bound in with outward props, a brisk fire was kindled, and kept going until it was burned to something like a brick-red.

Cooper… The Deerslayer… 1841

A breeze from the north brought this stratum of cloud and, being a little brisk in force, rippled the entire surface of the sea.

Scoresby… Voyage to Australia… 1859

A brisk northeasterly wind was blowing, causing the bosom of the river to flash in ripples of light.

Black… Macleod of Dare… 1878

Mrs. Lander realized when the ship came to anchor in the stream at Liverpool that she had not been seasick a moment during the voyage. In the brisk cold of the winter morning, as they came ashore in the tug, she fancied a property of health in the European atmosphere, which she was sure would bring her right up, if she stayed long enough…

Howells… Ragged Lady… 1899

-) d. (Of a purgative, drug, etc.) drastic.

… as our patient was costive, he was ordered to take five grains of calomel at bed-time, and to follow this with a brisk purgative on the following morning.

The Lancet, edited by Wakley… 1823?

-) e. (Of any fact, as a trade, business, etc., in which interaction of people occurs) characterized by briskness.

It had been a brisk market.

Scott… The Two Drovers… 1827

He walked into the market while they were getting breakfast ready for him at the Inn; and though it was the same market as of old, crowded by the same buyers and sellers; brisk with the same business; noisy with the same confusion of tongues and cluttering of fowls in coops; […]; still it was strangely changed to Tom.

Dickens… Martin… 1844

When the supper, which was very brisk and gay, was over, and Captain Costigan and Mrs. Bolton had partaken of some of the rack-punch that is so fragrant at Vauxhall, the bill was called and discharged by Pen with great generosity… 

Thackeray… The History… 1850

… artificers in wood abounded, and the timber trade was brisk.

T. Hardy… A Changed Man and other Tales… 1913

Their small mill was only adapted for the supply of certain kinds of lumber, for which there was now not much demand, and they had not enough money to remodel it, while business would not get brisk again until the spring.

H. Bindloss… Carmen's Messenger… 1917

-) English words derived from BRISK: brisk (verb), brisken, briskening, briskish, briskly, briskness, brisky, brisked, brisking.

 

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/blunder-meaning

/blunder-meaning-etymology-synonyms

-) Verb.

-) Pronunciation: blʌndə(r).

-) Etymology: of uncertain origin. In Middle English, it was blondren “to stir, confuse”. S. Johnson conjectured that it was derived from BLIND.

-) Third-person singular simple present: she (he) blunders. 

-) Preterite tense, preterite participle: blundered.

-) Present participle: blundering.

-) It is dated from the end of 1300.

-) Intransitive: -) 1. (The subject: an animated being) -) a. To locomote (move from a place to another by walking, flying, crawling, etc.), clumsily, unsteadly, or stupidly, either from the lack of illumination, or from a visual disability or impotence. Hence: -) b. To locomote clumsily, unsteadly, or stupidly, either from fatigue or from other non-visual causes (overweigh, drunkenness, impediment, etc.).

-) Synonyms for “blunder”: to flounder, stumble.

-) Translation: tropezar, in Spanish; inciampare, in Italian; buter, in French.

… obstacles to their progress occurred in the shape of strong doors, party-walls, and iron-grates —so that the party blundered on in the dark, uncertain whether they were not going farther from, rather than approaching, the extremity of the labyrinth.

Scott… Woodstock… 1826

The travellers continued, for many days, to experience great difficulties and discomforts […]. The sun was for a great part of the time obscured by the smoke, and the loftiest mountains were hidden from view. Blundering along in this region of mist and uncertainty, they were frequently obliged to make long circuits, to avoid obstacles which they could not perceive until close upon them.

Irving… Captain Bonneville… 1837

The masquerader, whose ambition it will be to simulate the barbarous fantasticalities of the Sasquesahanocks, need not blunder in his costume.

Simms… Captain… 1847

The tired horses blundered heavily along the stony streets, and crossed more than one bridge.

Braddon… London Pride… 1896

They knew the way home, and after I had blundered about in search of them through the lampshot darkness, I settled myself to walk back at my leisure, comfortably sure that I should find them on the verandah waiting for me when I reached the hotel.

Howells… An Open-Eyed Conspiracy… 1898

… the men who drove them could scarcely escape the troopers who waited them, if they blundered on through the darkness of the bush.

Bindloss… Winston… 1907

He felt something thrusting against him. He was being pushed along the gallery. Someone was shouting--it might be at him. He was too confused to hear. He was thrust against the wall, and a number of people blundered past him. It seemed to him that his guards were struggling with one another.

Wells… The Sleeper… 1910

-) With the preposition “against” + a noun designative of the obstacle:

A bat, more blinded than Ruth herself by the glaring picture which had suddenly come out of the blank darkness, flew low, and blundered against her face.

Martineau… The Parish… 1833

… Towser blundered against the leg of the table so that it almost tumbled over; and a terrible clatter followed among the cups.

Amory… The Young Rover… 1836

Turning the corner I blundered against Sir Doomsday. The concussion was violent, the baronet stumbled into the gutter.

Motley… Morton’s Hope… 1839

On and on we went, in wearisome darkness and in seemingly interminable space; half-asleep and stumbling, our men blundered against each other.

Stepney… Leaves from the diary… 1854

The bees had been so thirsty that they had drank too much red clover wine, for they blundered against each other, and staggered and tumbled about with aimless indecision of place and purpose, and evidently did not know a corncockel from a dandelion.

Oddfellow’s magazine, 1860

She looked at me, shook off a bee that had blundered against her apron, and looked at me again.

A. Quiller-Couch… The Delectable Duchy… 1893

-) With the preposition “on” (or “upon”) + a noun designative of either the obstacle or the place accidentally trodden:

I avoided the Middletons as much as possible, as well as everybody else who was likely to prove an acquaintance in common. Not aware of their being in town, however, I blundered on Sir John, I believe, the first day of his coming, and the day after I had called at Mrs. Jennings's.

Austen… Sense and Sensibility… 1811

They soon came upon the enemy's advanced guard, a battalion encamped behind a log breastwork. The French set fire to their camp, and retreated. The columns kept their form, and pressed forward, but, through ignorance of their guides, became bewildered in a dense forest, […] and blundered upon each other.

Irving… G. Washington… 1860

Tiptoeing cautiously forward behind their leader, the other two lads perceived that they had blundered upon a spot in which several horses had been left unguarded by the search parties, while they pushed their way on foot through the impenetrable brush.

F. Deering… The Border Boys… 1911

Evidently the driver, whoever he was, well knew what he was about, and had not blundered upon this place by accident.

R. Beach… Heart of the Sunset… 1915

… that young fellow that blundered on my brig in the dark.

J. Conrad… The Rescue… 1920

-) With the preposition “into” + a noun designative of either the obstacle or the place accidentally trodden:

The furniture was unfamiliar; the room, too, had an altered look; a young clerk —a stranger— was at the desk! I uttered an exclamation, apologetic in its character, for I thought, at first, I had blundered into the wrong office.

Harper’s new monthly magazine, vol. 12… 1855-1856

… the man was in their way as a wasp that has blundered into an ants' nest; and, while frightened at the size of the intruder, these honest ants were resolved to get him out of their citadel alive or dead.

Bulwer-Lytton… What Will He Do With It… 1858

There in the darkness a man blundered into me and sent me reeling back.

Wells… The War… 1898

… someone, coming, it may be, in a transverse direction, blundered violently into him. He was hurling down a staircase in absolute darkness. He reeled, and was struck again, and came against a wall with his hands.

Wells… The Sleeper Awakes… 1899

-) With the preposition “over” + a noun designative of either the obstacle or the thing over which one is fallen:

The housemaid was the only being stirring in the morning when little Mr. Binnie blundered over her pail as she was washing the deck.

Thackeray… The Newcomes… 1854

-) 2. Metaphors: (by analogy with the preceding meanings):

-) a. To blunder into: to chance to be in a state, action, process, circumstance; to come to be accidentally in something factual or circumstantial, as if in consequence of having strayed..

He never blundered into victory, but won his battles in his head, before he won them on the field.

Emerson… Representative Men… 1850

-) b. To blunder upon (something): to come to know, find or experience it accidentally:

These bizarre attempts at explanation were followed by others equally bizarre. Of late years however, an anonymous writer, by a course of reasoning exceedingly unphilosophical, has contrived to blunder upon a […] solution--although we cannot consider it altogether the true one.

E. Poe… Maelzel’s Chess Player… 1836

… some fool would have blundered into the discovery, if you had not prevented him.

W. Fowle… The hundred dialogues… 1854

While reading this passage, I felt my uncle's hand tremble in mine, and I laid down the book. It appeared as if everything I did, instead of soothing, as I intended, but pained him more and more. I sat silent, with tears in my eyes, fearful that if I attempted further kindness, I should but blunder upon some wrong method of showing it. 

J. Campbell… The Money-maker… 1854

Last season I blundered upon an experiment, with the results of which I feel highly satisfied.

The New England farmer, vol. 7… 1855

I wonder how the pupils of these schools, and the children of such parents, blunder into so much knowledge as they do.

M. Mendell… Notes of travel… 1865

-) 3. Metaphor: to commit an error in doing something, originally through confusion or indistinction; later, through any cause.

I had a long conversation with the new Lord Sheffield; and, as I had never seen him since he was Colonel Holroyd, I was ridiculously enough embarrassed with his new title, blundering from my lord to sir, and from sir to my lord.

F. Burney… Diary and letters… 1854

Whenever I have found out that I have blundered, or that my work has been imperfect, and when I have been contemptuously criticised, and even when I have been overpraised, […], it has been my greatest comfort to say hundreds of times to myself that "I have worked as hard and as well as I could, and no man can do more than this."

F. Darwin… Darwin… 1908

-) With the preposition “in” + a noun or a gerund, which stand for the scope of the error:

If it be true that experienced geologists have sometimes, from the neglect of palaeontology, blundered in the arrangement of the physical groups; it is equally true, that very expert palaeontologists, from some mistake of arrangement among the physical groups, have sometimes blundered in their palaeontology.

A. Sedgwick… A synopsis of the classification… 1855

Mr. Arbuton began to write. Suddenly, "Miss Ellison," said he, with a smile, "I've blundered in your name; I neglected to put the Miss before it..."

Howells… A Chance Acquaintance… 1873

-) With the preposition “about” + a noun:

He is as fond of quotations as my poor "Lady Smatter," and, like her, knows little beyond a song, and always blunders about the author of that.

F. Burney… Diary and letters… 1854

-) Transitive: -) 1. Obsolete: -) a. To confuse (two or more bodies); to mix confusedly. -) b. To confound mentally; to unreason (someone).

-) 2. (The object is “one’s way”, this is, “my way”, “your way”, etc.) to locomote staggeringly; go totteringly. Also metaphorical.

Away, then, did they scramble, through bush and brake, […], nor did they pause to breathe, until they had blundered their way through this perilous wood and had fairly reached the high-road to the city.

Irving… Tales of a Traveller… 1824

His face now became very troubled, the tone of his voice very irresolute,—the face and the voice of a man who is either blundering his way through an intricate falsehood, or through obscure reminiscences.

Bulwer-Lytton… A Strange Story… 1853

… he would sit, silent […], for half an hour or half a minute, as the case might be, and then get up suddenly, with a “Well, good morning,” shuffle back to the door, and blunder his way out.

Douglas Jerrold’s shilling magazine, vol. 1… 1865

A guide was absolutely needed, as the track ceased altogether in one place, and for some time the horses had to blunder their way along a bright, rushing river, swirling rapidly downwards, heavily bordered with bamboo, full of deep holes, and made difficult by trees which have fallen across it.

I. Bird… Unbeaten Tracks in Japan… 1880

-) 3. To pronounce or utter (something) blunderingly or stupidly. It is usually construed with the adverb “out” in a pleonastic construction:

Cecilia could not forbear laughing to hear the truth thus accidentally blundered out.

F. Burney… Cecilia 1782

I was blundering out some kind of apology for my appearance, when he pointed to a chair, and begged me to be seated.

C. Lever… The Daltons… 1852

Jo produced her manuscript and, blushing redder and redder with each sentence, blundered out fragments of the little speech carefully prepared for the occasion.

Alcott… Little Women… 1868

-) 4. To cause (something or someone) to result into a unexpected state or circumstance by clumsy or stupid behavior. 

I have found worth, probity, and even sincerity among courtiers themselves, and the very patrons I had offended had their good qualities, which I did not respect the less because I had blundered myself out of their favour.

R. Ward… De Vere… 1827

-) 5. To make a blunder or error in (something that one is doing); to do blunderingly; to vary (something) by error.

-) Synonym: bungle.

Inscriptions, blundered by the die engraver, are frequently found both on the coins of classical antiquity, and of the Middle Ages.

H. Humpreys… The Coin Collector’s Manual… 1853

The appellations, and sobriquets, of the Scotish kings, and of the royal family, were obviously Irish, however they may have been blundered by copyists, or barbarized by translators.

G. Chalmers… Caledonia… 1887

The banker's clerk, who was directed to sum my cash-account, blundered it three times.  

Scott… The Antiquary… 1893

-) English words derived from the verb “blunder”: blunderful, blundersome, blunder (noun), blundered, blunderer, blunderhead, blundering, blunderingly, blundersome.

 

 

/banter-meaning

/banter-meaning-etymology-synonyms

-) Verb.

-) Pronunciation and accent: bæntə(r).

-) Etymology: of uncertain origin. It is doubtful whether the verb or the noun was the earlier.

-) It is dated from the end of 1600.

-) Transitive: -) 1. To treat (a person) jocularly; to address (some one) in such a manner as to expect in reaction either a smile or a laughter; to ridicule without intention of offending the banteree; to address a playful ridicule to (a person).

-) Synonyms: to mock at (some one), quiz, chaff, rally, jeer.

-) Translation: embromar, in Spanish; burlare, in Italian; plaisanter (quelqu’un), in French.

He was an inexperienced hunter and a poor shot, for which he was much bantered by his more adroit comrades. 

Washington Irving… Astoria 1836

It was an imperfect instrument, something between a flute and a clarionet […].  An islander informed me that it was the only sort of musical instrument which the Northern tribes possessed, and that it was played upon by the young men only when they were /in love/.  I suspected at first that he was bantering me, but I afterwards found that what he said was true.

F. Marryat… Diary in America… 1839

-) Reciprocally:

He was constantly surrounded on such occasions by buffoons selected, for the most part, from among the vilest pettifoggers who practised before him. These men bantered and abused each other for his entertainment.

T. Macaulay… The history of England… 1848

The other Cavaliers whooped and laughed in the […] jest, pushing and bantering each other as they hurried on in full pursuit of the rapidly retreating chase.

G. Melville… Holmby House… 1860

-) With the prepositions “for”, “on” or “upon” + a noun or a gerund, which are designative either of the cause or of the subject of the banter:

“I wish,” said Miss Trevannion to her friend, “that you would cease bantering me upon that subject.”

W. Scargill… Tales of a briefless barrister… 1829

The cunning old Indian followed him to and fro, holding out a sea-otter skin to him at every turn, and pestering him to trade. Finding other means unavailing, he suddenly changed his tone, and began to jeer and banter him upon the mean prices he offered. This was too much for the patience of the captain, who was never remarkable for relishing a joke, especially when at his own expense. Turning suddenly upon his persecutor, he snatched the proffered otter-skin from his hands, rubbed it in his face… 

Irving… Astoria… 1836

… encountering Mr Nadgett in the outer room, he bantered that stealthy gentleman on always appearing anxious to avoid him, and inquired if he were afraid of him.

Dickens… Martin… 1844

Others of Goldsmith's friends entertained similar ideas with respect to his fitness for the task, and they were apt now and then to banter him on the subject, and to amuse themselves with his easy credulity.

W. Irving… Oliver Goldsmith… 1849

"Being with a party at Versailles, viewing the waterworks, a question [… followed] among the gentlemen present, whether the distance from whence they stood to one of the little islands was within the compass of a leap. Goldsmith maintained the affirmative; but, being bantered on the subject, and remembering his former prowess as a youth, attempted the leap, but, falling short, descended into the water, to the great amusement of the company."

W. Irving… Oliver Goldsmith… 1849

I soon reached the place of rendezvous, and was greeted by the merry voices of my companions, who were already seated on the coach, which was to convey us to our place of destination. They bantered me upon my dilatoriness.

A. Crowquill… A bundle… 1854

None of my acquaintances knew what I was doing with my money, and often bantered me for not joining in their revels as I was wont.

W. Chambers… Chambers’s journal, vol. 24… 1854

… William, in a good-humored tone, bantered them for the want of firmness.

W. Carleton… Jane Sinclair… 1881

Kitty bantered me a good deal on my silence throughout the remainder of the ride.

R. Kipling… Indian Tales… 1885

… he dictated a letter, in which, evidently […] to conceal the full extent of his misfortune, he bantered her on having recently advised him to beware of cold. "You ought," said he, "rather to have warned me to beware of heat."

R. Davenport… Peril and suffering… 1900

-) With the preposition “about” + noun or a gerund designative either of the cause or of the subject of the banter:

Winston knew the man, and was about to urge the horse forward, but, in place of it, drew bridle, and laughed with a feeling that was wholly new to him as he remembered that his neighbors now and then bantered him about his English, and that Courthorne only used the Western colloquialism when it suited him.

H. Bindloss… Winston… 1907

… we bantered each other about our ages, each claiming to be older than the other.

W. Howells… Seven English Cities… 1909

-) With the preposition “with” + a noun or a gerund designative of what is said jocularly:

… the very children in the streets bantered him with the title of “The Adelantado of the Seven Cities.”

Bentley’s miscellany… 1839

For some time after his return from Paris, he exhibited an unwonted degree of […] communicativeness, and we frequently bantered him with having become half a Frenchman.

M. Muir… Heroes… 1883

-) Reflexively:

The poet was fond of smoking his pipe, and banters himself as being no hero in cavalry.

Hardinge… 1817

Mr Dennis appeared to think it an uncommon circumstance, and to banter himself upon it.

Dickens… Barnaby Rudge… 1841

-) To banter (someone) out of: to dissuade (a person) from something by bantering him. 

Wrung as I was to the heart, I was ashamed of having it supposed that the loss of my hundred guineas in the least affected me. Belmont insisted that I should sup with him, and when I attempted to decline his invitation, bantered me out of my refusal, by asking if I had parted with my hundred guineas to purchase the spleen.

T. Holcroft… Hugh Trevor… 1794

[Captain Everard is bantering:] “You have described me exactly,” said he, bowing; “your insight into character is wonderful; you ought to write fashionable and domestic novels.”

But Edith was not to be bantered out of her severity.

M. Smedley… The maiden aunt… 1849

He consulted Bob Lee about it, and got only a bantering answer and a hint about the note of hand. Giles was not to be bantered out of his belief, but laid the case before sundry of his acquaintance, who were notorious for their credulity in all marvellous affairs.

T. Haliburton… Traits of American humor… 1852

-) To banter (someone) into something: to persuade (a person) into something by bantering him:

Your young female friends should never be allowed to tease or banter you into the betrayal of this secret.

J. Farrar… The young lady’s friend… 1837

Golopin […] has great faith in his flute, and generally carries it about with him. At Casserole’s restaurant in the Haymarket, one evening, having a violent dispute with Klitzer, […], who had bantered him into a state of frenzy, he positively struck that big instrumentalist in the face, though he had to jump at least a foot in the air to do so.

G. Sala… Gaslight and Daylight… 1859

Even after a day of heavy toil at log-rolling, the young men and boys bantered one another into foot races, wrestling matches, shooting contests, and other feats of strength or skill.

F. Ogg… The Old Northwest… 1919

-) 2. (Now archaic): to delude (someone) by bantering him. 

Miss Bertram was in the breakfast-parlour when Sampson shuffled in, his face all radiant with smiles--a circumstance so uncommon that Lucy's first idea was that somebody had been bantering him with an imposition.

W. Scott… Guy Mannering… 1815

-) 3. To incite banteringly (a person) to do something. More usually: to incite to compete ludicrously for winning something (as, a bet, a race, etc.)

-) Antonym: to dissuade.

-) Synonym: to challenge.

-) With the preposition “for” + a noun designative of what is incited:

I was thinking of walking out into the country, and bantering somebody for a foot-race.

W. Caruthers… The Kentuckian in New-York… 1834

Shortly after leaving the Williams ranch next morning, I met a crowd of Chickasaw indians who bantered me for a horse race.

C. Siringo… A Texas Cow Boy… 1885

We were traveling through a thick, heavy wood, when we met a sewing-machine agent. I saw at once that he was driving an animal that exactly matched the one we brought from Chicago.

I bantered him for a trade.

He stopped, and after looking over the horse I had just bought, said he'd trade for seventy-five dollars.

"I'll give you fifty dollars."

J. Johnston… Twenty Years… 1902

-) With an infinitive designative of what is incited:

I feel his little […] hands over my eyes, and hear a child’s voice bantering me to guess his name.

D. Hill… The Land… 1866-1869

When our boats started for shore, the divers followed us quite a distance, bantering us to throw coins into the water.

E. Howe… The trip to the West Indies… 1910

I began an immediate search for a buyer for my horses and carriage, but without success, till one day an old gentleman bantered me to trade the entire outfit for a yoke of oxen and a two-wheeled cart, and was somewhat surprised when I showed my readiness to "swap" for five hundred dollars to boot.

J. Johnston… Twenty Years… 1902

-) Intransitive: to use a banter; to behave as a banterer.

-) Synonyms: to joke, jest, pleasant.

"Are you bantering, or are you in earnest?" cries the father, with a most solemn voice.

H. Fielding… The History of Tom Jones… 1749

All at once his pretty, pleasant hostess, with whom he had been glad enough to banter, and with whom even he had been ready to enter upon a mild and innocent flirtation, became horrible and hateful to him.

Lovett Cameron... Vera Nevill… 1887

Their laughter was noisy, their banter of one another and of Winona was continuous, and Winona laughed, even bantered. That she should banter strangers in a public place! She felt rowdy, but liked it.

H. Wilson… The Wrong Twin… 1921

-) With the preposition “with” + a noun of the person who reciprocates a joke or noun of the banteree:

Old Germans talked over their beer pots, and puffed at their pipes; young ones laughed and bantered with the servant girls.

F. Parkman… Vassall Morton… 1856

-) English words derived from the verb “banter”: banter (noun), banteree, banterer, bantering, banteringly, bantery.