question vs retort

question

noun
  • A sentence, phrase or word which asks for information, reply or response; an interrogative. 

  • A subject or topic for consideration or investigation. 

  • A proposal to a meeting as a topic for deliberation. 

  • A doubt or challenge about the truth, accuracy, or validity of a matter. 

verb
  • To ask a question or questions; inquire or seek to know; examine. 

  • To ask questions of; to interrogate; to ask for information. 

  • To raise doubts about; have doubts about. 

retort

noun
  • A sharp or witty reply, or one which turns an argument against its originator; a comeback. 

  • A pressure cooker. 

  • A crematory furnace. 

  • An airtight vessel in which material is subjected to high temperatures in the chemical industry or as part of an industrial manufacturing process, especially during the smelting and forging of metal. 

  • A flask with a rounded base and a long neck that is bent down and tapered, used to heat a liquid for distillation. 

verb
  • To bend or curve back. 

  • To throw back; to reverberate; to reflect. 

  • To heat in a retort. 

  • To make a remark which reverses an argument upon its originator; to return, as an argument, accusation, censure, or incivility. 

  • To say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation. 

How often have the words question and retort occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )