Try Our Apps
Dictionary.com

follow Dictionary.com

Famous Last Words

recycle

[ree-sahy-kuh l] /riˈsaɪ kəl/
verb (used with object), recycled, recycling.
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.
3.
to use again in the original form or with minimal alteration:
The governor recycled some speeches from his early days.
4.
to cause to pass through a cycle again:
to recycle laundry through a washing machine.
verb (used without object), recycled, recycling.
5.
to pass through a cycle again; repeat a process from the beginning.
6.
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
7.
the act or process of recycling.
Origin of recycle
1925-1930
First recorded in 1925-30; re- + cycle
Related forms
recyclable, adjective
recyclability, noun
recycler, recyclist, noun
nonrecyclable, adjective
unrecycled, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2017.
Cite This Source
Examples from the Web for recyclable
Contemporary Examples
British Dictionary definitions for recyclable

recycle

/riːˈsaɪkəl/
verb (transitive)
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
3.
to institute a different cycle of processes or events in (a machine, system, etc)
4.
to repeat (a series of operations)
noun
5.
the repetition of a fixed sequence of events
Derived Forms
recyclable, 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
Cite This Source
Word Origin and History for recyclable
adj.

1971, from recycle + -able. As a noun, by 1973. Related: Recyclables.

recycle

v.

1922, originally of industrial processes; see re- + cycle (v.). Specifically of waste material from 1960. Related: Recycled; recycling.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source

Word of the Day

Difficulty index for recycle

Some English speakers likely know this word

Word Value for recyclable

0
23
Scrabble Words With Friends

Nearby words for recyclable

Heartbreak