rep·ar·tee

[rep-er-tee, -tey, -ahr-]
noun
1.
a quick, witty reply.
2.
conversation full of such replies.
3.
skill in making such replies.

Origin:
1635–45; < French repartie retort, noun use of feminine past participle of repartir, Middle French, equivalent to re- re- + partir to part


2. banter, sparring, fencing.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To repartee
00:10
Repartee is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
Collins
World English Dictionary
repartee (ˌrɛpɑːˈtiː) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  a sharp, witty, or aphoristic remark made as a reply
2.  terse rapid conversation consisting of such remarks
3.  skill in making sharp witty replies or conversation
 
[C17: from French repartie, from repartir to retort, from re- + partir to go away]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

repartee
c.1645, "quick remark," from Fr. repartie "an answering blow or thrust" (originally a fencing term), noun use of fem. pp. of O.Fr. repartir "to reply promptly, start out again," from re- "back" + partir "to part, depart, start" (see part). Meaning "a series of sharp rejoinders
exchanged" is from 1688.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Between transmissions came long beeps and blurts that effectively demolished
  any repartee or spontaneity.
All these are familiar concepts to anyone who has been engaged in fruitful
  debate, and make for stimulating repartee.
There's the omnipresent pool and video poker if you're not interested in witty
  repartee.
The pair perform some repartee that, surprisingly for one of these things,
  isn't too painful.
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