repair

Sayri-PAIR/ɹɪˈpɛɚ/UK/ɹɪˈpɛə/

Noun pluralrepairs

9 meanings of repair

1
verbtransitive
To fix something that is broken or damaged so it works again.
Like gluing a broken plate back together so you can use it again.
He learned to repair bikes at the local shop.
She repaired the torn jacket with a needle and thread.
Similarfix, mend, restore, overhaul, service
Oppositebreak, damage
Note
2
nouncountable or uncountable
The work of fixing something that is broken or damaged.
Like the work of cleaning a dirty room until it looks nice again.
The repair of the old fence took all weekend.
Fixing the leak turned out to be a quick repair.
Similarmending, fixing, restoration, servicing, overhaul
3
nouncountable or uncountable
The fixed or mended part that is left after something is repaired.
Like the smooth patch left behind after you fill a hole in the wall.
The repair held up well after many years.
You can hardly see the repair on the old vase.
Similarpatch, mend, fix
4
nouncountable or uncountable
How good or bad a thing's condition is, and how much fixing it needs.
Like checking whether a bike needs new parts or is ready to ride.
The old car was still in good repair.
They kept the garden walls in fine repair.
Similarcondition, shape, order, state
Note
5
verbtransitive
To make up for harm you caused by giving something equal in return.
Like paying back a friend after you break something of theirs.
He worked hard to repair the wrong he had done to his friend.
Nothing she said could repair the insult to his pride.
Similarredress, remedy, rectify
Note
6
verbintransitive
To go to or move to another place.
Like leaving the kitchen to go sit in the yard.
After dinner they repair to the living room for coffee.
The guests repaired to the garden once the rain stopped.
Similarretire, withdraw, adjourn, retreat, proceed
Note
7
nouncountable
A place that someone goes to very often.
Like the playground where you and your friends always meet up.
The corner café was a favorite repair for local artists.
The old library became his daily repair after he retired.
Similarhaunt, resort, retreat
Note
8
nouncountable
The act of going or heading to a place.
The repair of crowds to the market made the square lively.
Their nightly repair to the inn soon became a habit.
Similartrip, retreat, move, withdrawal
Note
9
SayREE-pairUS/ˈɹiˌpɛɚ/UK/ˈɹiːpɛə/
verbtransitive or intransitive
To join or match two things together again.
After the update, I had to repair my headphones with my phone in the Bluetooth menu.
The zoo hoped to repair the old penguin with a new mate.
Note

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–5

It came through Middle French from the Latin word reparo, meaning "to renew or repair."

Meanings 6–8

It came from an old word meaning "to return" or "to go back to one's country."

Meaning 9

It comes from re- plus pair.