recycle

[ ree-sahy-kuhl ]
See synonyms for: recyclerecycledrecycling on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),re·cy·cled, re·cy·cling.
  1. to treat or process (used or waste materials) so as to make suitable for reuse: recycling paper to save trees.

  2. to alter or adapt for new use without changing the essential form or nature of: The old factory is being recycled as a theater.

  1. to use again in the original form or with minimal alteration: The governor recycled some speeches from his early days.

  2. to cause to pass through a cycle again: to recycle laundry through a washing machine.

verb (used without object),re·cy·cled, re·cy·cling.
  1. to pass through a cycle again; repeat a process from the beginning.

  2. to undergo reuse or renewal; be subject to or suitable for further use, activity, etc.: The industry will recycle and become profitable once more.

noun
  1. the act or process of recycling.

Origin of recycle

1
First recorded in 1925–30; re- + cycle

Other words from recycle

  • re·cy·cla·ble, adjective
  • re·cy·cla·bil·i·ty, noun
  • re·cy·cler, re·cy·clist, noun
  • non·re·cy·cla·ble, adjective
  • un·re·cy·cled, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for recycle

recycle

/ (riːˈsaɪkəl) /


verb(tr)
  1. to pass (a substance) through a system again for further treatment or use

  2. to reclaim (packaging or products with a limited useful life) for further use

  1. to institute a different cycle of processes or events in (a machine, system, etc)

  2. to repeat (a series of operations)

noun
  1. the repetition of a fixed sequence of events

Derived forms of recycle

  • recyclable or recycleable, adjective, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012