godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
tell again and again; repeat; refrain; turn up; turn down
Rare and archaic verb. The core meaning is 'to turn back' or 'to return', extended to 'repeating' or 'refraining'. Modern Japanese uses 繰り返す for 'repeat' and 控える for 'refrain'. The 'turn up/down' glosses may reflect a physical folding or turning sense, but this is not a common modern usage.
In classical texts, 折れ返る is sometimes used to mean 'repeat'.
「折れ返る」という動詞は現代語ではほとんど使われない。
The verb 折れ返る is rarely used in modern Japanese.