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recalibrate

/ˌriˈkæləˌbreɪt/
IPA guide

Other forms: recalibrated; recalibrating; recalibrates

To recalibrate is to adjust the settings on a device that precisely measures, senses, or moves. You might have to recalibrate your thermostat in order for it to accurately tell you how hot or cold it is in your apartment.

When a precision instrument is first set up, it's finely adjusted to be as accurate as possible, a process called calibration. Whenever it needs fine-tuning, someone must recalibrate it, bringing it back to accuracy. This is true for scientific instruments, bathroom scales, barometers, and more. If your baking scale seems off, you may want to recalibrate it. This word is from calibrate, originally "determine the caliber of," a reference to measuring the inside of a gun barrel."

Definitions of recalibrate
  1. verb
    reset or fine-tune an instrument or a device for more exact measurements
  2. verb
    readjust plans, expectations, or behaviors to better align with new information or changing realities
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