Wiktionary

recover

See also: re-cover

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology 1

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From Middle English recoveren, rekeveren, from Anglo-Norman recoverer and Old French recovrer, from Latin recuperāre, alternative form of reciperāre. Doublet of recuperate and recoup.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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recover (third-person singular simple present recovers, present participle recovering, simple past and past participle recovered)

  1. (transitive) To get back, to regain (a physical thing; in astronomy and navigation, sight of a thing or a signal).
    After days of inquiries, he finally recovered his lost wallet.
    For days telescopes surveyed the skies to recover the small asteroid.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Samuel 30:18, column 1:
      And Dauid recouered all that the Amalekites had caried away: and Dauid reſcued his two wiues.
    • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XXII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
      Not unnaturally, “Auntie” took this communication in bad part. Thus outraged, she showed herself to be a bold as well as a furious virago. Next day she found her way to their lodgings and tried to recover her ward by the hair of the head.
    • 1979 December 16, Ching-kuo Chiang, “Chairman Chiang Ching-kuo's Opening Address to the KMT Plenum”, in 自由中國週報‎[1], volume XX, number 49, Taipei, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 3, column 1:
      All the comrades of the Party must strive with maximum courage and unswerving determination, together with our compatriots of the whole country, to carry out our historic task of recovering the mainland and reshaping the Chinese nation.
    • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:recover.
  2. (transitive) to salvage, to extricate, to rescue (a thing or person)
    They recovered three of the explorers very much alive, then another, wracked with severe hypothermia, who was taken to hospital.
    • 2020 August 26, “Network News: Mid-September before line reopens, says Network Rail”, in Rail, page 10:
      Network Rail doesn't expect the line through Carmont to open for around a month, as it faces the mammoth task of recovering the two power cars and four coaches from ScotRail's wrecked train, repairing bridge 325, stabilising earthworks around the landslip, and replacing the track.
  3. (transitive) To replenish to, resume (a good state of mind or body).
    At the top of the hill I asked to stop for a few minutes to recover my strength.
  4. (intransitive, law) To obtain a positive judgement; to win in a lawsuit.
    The plaintiff recovered in his suit, being awarded declaratory relief and a clearing of his name.
  5. (transitive, law) To gain as compensation or reparation, usually by formal legal process.
    Synonym: recoup
    to recover damages in trespass; to recover debt and costs in a legal action or that is owing
    to recover lands in ejectment or common recovery
    recover one's investment
  6. (transitive, obsolete) To reach (a place), arrive at.
    • c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
      The forest is not three leagues off; / If we recover that, we're sure enough.
    • 1639, Thomas Fuller, “Theobald King of Navarre Maketh an Unsuccessfull Voyage into Palestine”, in The Historie of the Holy Warre, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Thomas Buck, one of the printers to the Universitie of Cambridge [and sold by John Williams, London], →OCLC, book IV, page 179:
      But with much ado the Christians recovered to Antioch, having ſcarce a third part of them left, their horſes all dead, and themſelves ſcarce mounted on their legs, miſerably weak; as what the mercy of ſword, plague, and famine had pleaſed to ſpare.
    • 1646, John Hales, Golden Remains of the Ever Memorable Mr. John Hales:
      Except he could recover one of the Cities of Refuge he was to die.
  7. (transitive, archaic) To restore to good health, consciousness, life etc.
  8. (transitive, archaic) To make good by reparation; to make up for; to retrieve; to repair the loss or injury of.
    to recover lost time
  9. (intransitive) To regain one's composure, balance etc.
    Spinning round, he caught a stone with his ankle, but recovered quickly before turning to face me.
    • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
      Meanwhile Nanny Broome was recovering from her initial panic and seemed anxious to make up for any kudos she might have lost, by exerting her personality to the utmost. She took the policeman's helmet and placed it on a chair, and unfolded his tunic to shake it and fold it up again for him.
  10. (intransitive, followed by "from" to show what caused the bad feeling) To get better, to regain health or prosperity.
    I was hurt, but I knew I’d recover, given time.
    Without calling in Business Recovery experts, the company saw trade and investor confidence recover sharply in the wake of the crisis.
    I lost out in the deal, but I quickly recovered financially
    It takes time and good health to recover from injury, surgery, a bereavement and emotional turmoil
    • 2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 67:
      My trip along the rest of the line is delightful. It's yet another route that has recovered from previous rationalisation by having tracks and platforms reinstated in recent years.
  11. (transitive, archaic, without "from") to recover from
    To the end of his days, he never fully recovered his daughter's death.
Derived terms
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Translations
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Noun

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recover (plural recovers)

  1. (obsolete) Recovery. [14th–17th c.]
    • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “xiiij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book XX (in Middle English):
      It was neuer in my thoughte saide laūcelot to withholde the quene from my lord Arthur / but in soo moche she shold haue ben dede for my sake / me semeth it was my parte to saue her lyf and putte her from that daunger tyl better recouer myghte come / & now I thanke god sayd sir Launcelot that the pope hath made her pees
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
  2. (military) A position of holding a firearm during exercises, whereby the lock is at shoulder height and the sling facing out.
  3. (dated) The forward movement in rowing, after one stroke to take another (recovery)

Etymology 2

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From re- ‎ cover.

Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Verb

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recover (third-person singular simple present recovers, present participle recovering, simple past and past participle recovered)

  1. To cover again.
  2. (roofing) To add a new roof membrane or steep-slope covering over an existing one.

Anagrams

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Middle English

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Etymology 1

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From Anglo-Norman recovre.

Noun

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recover

  1. Alternative form of recovere

Etymology 2

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From Anglo-Norman recoverer.

Verb

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recover

  1. Alternative form of recoveren
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