reciprocate

Meanings

1. To exchange two things, with both parties giving one thing and taking another thing.
2. To give something else in response (where the "thing" may also be abstract, a feeling or action) To make a reciprocal gift.
3. To move backwards and forwards, like a piston.
4. To counter, retort or retaliate.

Etymology

From Latin recīprocātus, perfect passive participle of recīprocō (“to move back and forth”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from reciprocus (“back an forth, reciprocal, alternating”) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix), itself possibly from a phrase such as reque proque (“back and forth”), from re- (“back”), prō (“forwards”) and -que (“and”). See also reciprocal. Compare French réciproquer.