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To refute; to disprove; as, to refel the tricks of a sophister. [Obs.] How he refelled me, and how I replied. Shak.

Capable of being refuted; refutable. [R.] -- Ref"ra*ga*ble*ness, n. [R.] -- Ref`*ra*ga*bil"i*ty (-b, n. [R.]

Admitting of being refuted or disproved; capable of being proved false or erroneous.

The act or process of refuting or disproving, or the state of being refuted; proof of falsehood or error; the overthrowing of an argument, opinion, testimony, doctrine, or theory, by argument or countervailing proof. Same of his blunders seem rather to deserve a flogging than a refutation. Macaulay.…

Tending tu refute; refuting.

To disprove; to refute. [Obs.] Reprove my allegation, if you can. Shak.

One who maintains a thesis in reply, and whose province it is to refute objections, or overthrow arguments; -- distinguished from opponent. I. Watts.

To overcome; to refute, as error. [Obs.] Foxe.

Performed by one person, or one on each side; as, a single combat. These shifts refuted, answer thy appellant, . . . Who now defles thee thrice ti single fight. Milton.

face, indicative of contempt; an indirect expression or insinuation of contempt. "Who can refute a sneer" Raley.

Founded in truth or right; supported by justice; not to be overthrown on refuted; not fallacious; as, sound argument or reasoning; a sound objection; sound doctrine; sound principles. Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me. 2 Tim. i. 13.

syllogisms. Men have endeavored . . . to teach boys to syllogize, or frame arguments and refute them, without any real inward knowledge of the question. I. Watts.

Not refuted; as, an unanswered argument.

To undo, disprove, or refute by reasoning. [Obs.] To unreason the equity of God's proceedings. South.

Hence, to defeat in any contest; to get the better of; to put down; to refute. This bold assertion has been fully vanquished in a late reply to the Bishop of Meaux's treatise. Atterbury. For e'en though vanquished, he could argue still. Goldsmith.

Extreme bitterness or malignity of disposition. "Refuted without satirical virulency." Barrow. The virulence of one declaimer, or the profundities and sublimities of the other. I. Taylor.