recycle

/riˈsaɪkəl/

/riˈsaɪkəl/

Other forms: recycled; recycles

When you recycle something, you process it so it can be used again. You might recycle an old tire and make it into a snazzy black knapsack with some very cool skid marks.

The prefix re- means again, and when you recycle something, you process it for another cycle of use. The phrase "reduce, reuse, recycle" gives you three ways to prevent waste. When you recycle plastic bottles, they’re melted down and made into new bottles or even furniture or clothing. You might do some creative recycling and turn your old textbooks into a coffee table. When you have your washing machine repeat the wash or rinse cycle, that’s a different recycle.

Definitions of recycle

1. verb

   use again after processing
   “We must recycle the cardboard boxes”

   synonyms: reprocess, reuse

   types:

   rehash

   present or use over, with no or few changes

   reclaim, recover

   reuse (materials from waste products)

   type of:

   apply, employ, use, utilise, utilize

   put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose
2. verb

   cause to repeat a cycle
   type of:

   cycle

   cause to go through a recurring sequence