comeback English · revision 10346

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=1889}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈkʌmbæk/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is from the verbal phrase come back (see [[come]], [[back]]).^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A verbal retort: 1889, also written come-back;^(Etymonline) an act of retaliation or a critical reaction is late 19th-century slang in the SOED.^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ A recovery or return to a former position after retirement or loss is attested from 1908, in American English.^(Etymonline) Merriam-Webster dates the first known use to 1899.^(MWU 2024) In Australia a comeback is a sheep three-quarters merino.^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1889 – a retort.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1899 – first known use (MWU).^(MWU 2024)

+ * 1908 – a return to success.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A return to a former position of success or popularity.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # The act of making up a deficit in a game or contest.^(AHD)

+ # A quick or witty reply; a [[retort]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[come]]

+ * [[back]]

+ * [[return]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}