recycle: Meaning and Definition of

re•cy•cle

Pronunciation: (rē-sī'kul), [key]
— v., n. -cled, -cling,
—v.t.
  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.
—v.i.
  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.
—n.
  1. the act or process of recycling.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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