I. (ˈ)rē+ transitive verb
Etymology: re- + cycle
: to pass again through a cycle of changes or treatment
an industrial plant … recycles cooling water through cooling towers as many as 50 times — J.R.Whitaker & E.A.Ackerman
especially : to feed back continuously in a laboratory or industrial operation or process for further treatment
II. noun
: a fraction of a product that is recycled
III. transitive verb
( -es -s )
1. : to process (as liquid body waste, glass, or cans) in order to regain material for human use
2. : to adapt to a new use : alter : transform
recycle recent real events into prime time entertainment — Karl Meyer
3. : to bring back : reuse : repeat
a light, chatty tribute that recycles a number of good anecdotes — Larry McMurtry
4. : to make ready for reuse : restore
the move to recycle unused gas stations — Robert Frausto
5. : to reuse (money) by investing especially in an area or enterprise that will allow the investment to return as new profits
recycle petrodollars
intransitive verb
1. : to stop the counting and return to an earlier point in a countdown
2. : to return to an original condition so that operation can begin again — used of an electronic device
• re·cy·cla·bil·i·ty (ˈ)rēˌsīkləˈbiləd.ē noun
• re·cy·cla·ble (ˈ)rēˈsīk(ə)ləbəl adjective or noun
• re·cycler "ˌ noun
IV. noun
: the process of recycling