Mawson, C.O.S., ed. (1870–1938). Roget’s International Thesaurus. 1922.
Class IV. Words Relating to the Intellectual Faculties
Division (I) Formation of Ideas
Section IV. Reasoning Processes
479. Confutation.
NOUN:
CONFUTATION, refutation; answer, complete answer; disproof, conviction, redargution, invalidation; exposure, exposition, exposé [F.], clincher [colloq.], retort, reductio ad absurdum [L.]; knock-down -; tu quoque- argument; sockdolager [slang, U. S.].
VERB:
CONFUTE, refute; parry, negative, disprove, redargue, expose, show up, show the fallacy of, rebut, defeat; demolish (destroy) [See Destruction]; overthrow, overturn; scatter to the winds, explode, invalidate; silence; put -, reduce- to silence; clinch -an argument, - a question; give one a setdown [colloq.], stop the mouth, shut up; have, have on the hip, have the better of; confound [archaic], convince.
not leave a leg to stand on, cut the ground from under one’s feet; smash all opposition; knock the bottom out of an argument [colloq.].
BE CONFUTED &c.; fail; expose -, show- one’s weak point.
ADJECTIVE:
CONFUTABLE, confutative, refutable; confuting, confuted, &c. v.; capable of refutation. condemned -on one’s own showing, - out of one’s own mouth; “hoist with his own petar” [Hamlet].
QUOTATIONS:
The argument falls to the ground.
Cadit quæstio.
It does not hold water.
Suo sibi gladio hunc jugulo.—Terence
Thy speech bewrayeth thee.—Bible
Now, infidel, I have you on the hip.—Merchant of Venice
