# recover

Pronunciation: US say "ri-KUV-ur" /ɹɪˈkʌvɚ/; UK say "ri-KUV-uh" /ɹɪˈkʌvə/

## Verb

1. To return to good health or to a stronger condition after illness, injury, or hardship.
   - Simple: To get better after being sick, hurt, or in trouble.
   - _Most patients recover completely within six weeks of this surgery._
   - _Tourism in the region never quite recovered after the airport closed._
2. To get back or regain a physical object, or, in astronomy and navigation, sight of an object or a signal.
   - Simple: To get something back after it was lost or taken.
   - _Searchers recovered the flight data recorder two days after the crash._
   - _Astronomers managed to recover the comet on its return after losing track of it for months._
3. To salvage, extricate, or rescue a person or thing from a wreck, danger, or other difficult situation.
   - Simple: To bring a person or thing safely out of danger or a difficult place.
   - _Salvage crews recovered most of the cargo from the sunken freighter._
   - _It took hours to recover the driver from the crumpled vehicle._
4. To regain or restore a good state of mind or body, such as one's strength, breath, or composure.
   - Simple: To get back your strength, breath, or good mood.
   - _He sat down for a moment to recover his composure before the interview._
   - _A week of rest helped her recover her usual optimism._
5. To regain one's composure, balance, or poise after a stumble or an awkward moment.
   - Simple: To get your balance or calm back after a slip or surprise.
   - _The speaker lost her place mid-sentence but recovered gracefully._
   - _Gymnasts train to recover instantly after a shaky landing._
6. To obtain money or other compensation for a loss or injury, usually through a formal legal process.
   - Simple: To get money or payment back through a court case.
   - _The plaintiff recovered substantial damages for breach of contract._
   - _Investors sued to recover the funds lost in the fraudulent scheme._
7. To obtain a favorable judgment in a lawsuit; to win one's case.
   - Simple: To win in a court case and get a decision in your favor.
   - _The plaintiff recovered against both defendants at trial._
   - _An injured party cannot recover without first proving negligence._
8. To cover again, as by replacing an old covering with a new one. (pronounced: US say "ree-KUV-ur" /ˌɹiˈkʌvɚ/; UK say "ree-KUV-uh" /ˌɹiːˈkʌvə/)
   - Simple: To put a new cover or layer on something, such as a chair or a book.
   - _She recovered the armchair in a striped linen._
   - _The binder offered to recover the damaged book in fresh leather._
9. In roofing, to lay a new membrane or steep-slope covering on top of an existing roof. (pronounced: US say "ree-KUV-ur" /ˌɹiˈkʌvɚ/; UK say "ree-KUV-uh" /ˌɹiːˈkʌvə/)
   - Simple: To put a new layer of roof material on top of the old roof.
   - _The contractor recovered the warehouse roof with a single-ply membrane._
   - _Many building codes allow crews to recover a roof only once before requiring a full tear-off._

## Noun

10. A position in firearms drill in which the weapon is held with the lock at shoulder height and the sling facing outward.
   - Simple: A way of holding a rifle during army drills, with the gun raised near the shoulder.
   - _On the command, the platoon snapped their rifles to the recover._
   - _She held the recover steadily through the entire inspection._

## Noun

11. The forward movement in rowing after completing one stroke, made in preparation for taking the next. *(dated)*
   - Simple: In rowing, the move forward to get ready for the next stroke.
   - _Coaches stress keeping the hands level during the recover._
   - _A rushed recover throws off the rhythm of the whole crew._
16. A return to health, or the act or process of regaining something lost; recovery. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A return to health, or the act of getting something back.

## Verb

12. To restore a person to good health, consciousness, or life. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: To make a sick or fainting person well or awake again.
   - _The country air, the physician promised, would recover her within the month._
   - _A dose of smelling salts recovered the swooning bride._
13. To compensate for a loss, damage, or injury. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: To make up for something lost or damaged.
   - _He hoped years of honest dealing would recover the disgrace of his youth._
   - _No apology could recover the insult offered to his host._
14. To get over or shake off (an illness, injury, or other misfortune). *(archaic)*
   - Simple: To get over a sickness, an injury, or a sad event.
15. To reach a place; to arrive at a destination. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To reach a place or arrive at it after a journey.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–7, 10–16** — From Middle English 'recoveren', borrowed via Anglo-Norman 'recoverer' and Old French 'recovrer' from Latin 'recuperāre', an alternative form of 'reciperāre'. It is a doublet of 'recuperate', and the noun comes from the verb.
**Meanings 8–9** — Formed from the prefix 're-' plus the word 'cover'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/recover (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).