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definitions

recycle

[ree-sahy-kuh l]
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verb (used with object), re·cy·cled, re·cy·cling.

verb (used without object), re·cy·cled, re·cy·cling.

to pass through a cycle again; repeat a process from the beginning.
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

the act or process of recycling.

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Origin of recycle

First recorded in 1925–30; re- + cycle
Related formsre·cy·cla·ble, adjectivere·cy·cla·bil·i·ty, nounre·cy·cler, re·cy·clist, nounnon·re·cy·cla·ble, adjectiveun·re·cy·cled, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for recyclable

Contemporary Examples of recyclable

British Dictionary definitions for recyclable

recycle

verb (tr)

to pass (a substance) through a system again for further treatment or use
to reclaim (packaging or products with a limited useful life) for further use
to institute a different cycle of processes or events in (a machine, system, etc)
to repeat (a series of operations)

noun

the repetition of a fixed sequence of events
Derived Formsrecyclable 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
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