recycle

1 of 2

verb

re·​cy·​cle (ˌ)rē-ˈsī-kəl How to pronounce recycle (audio)
recycled; recycling; recycles

transitive verb

1
: to pass again through a series of changes or treatments: such as
a
: to process (something, such as liquid body waste, glass, or cans) in order to regain material for human use
c
: to reuse or make (a substance) available for reuse for biological activities through natural processes of biochemical degradation or modification
green plants recycling the residue of forest fires
recycle ADP back to ATP
2
: to adapt to a new use : alter
3
: to bring back : reuse
recycles a number of good anecdotesLarry McMurtry
4
: to make ready for reuse
a plan to recycle vacant tenements
5
: to reuse (money) by investing especially in an area or enterprise that will allow the investment to return as new profits
recycle petrodollars

intransitive verb

1
: to return to an earlier point in a countdown
2
: to return to an original condition so that operation can begin again
used of an electronic device
3
: to process materials or substances (such as liquid body waste, glass, or cans) in order to regain material for human use
As a rule, Welch does not recycle. Its roadsides are littered with paper bags from the town's half-dozen fast-food outlets.
recyclable adjective or noun
recycler noun

recycle

2 of 2

noun

: the process of recycling

Examples of recycle in a Sentence

Verb They're studying various ways to recycle garbage into fuel. The doormat is made from recycled tires. Town residents are required to recycle cans and bottles. We make efforts to recycle. The author recycles a familiar story in her latest novel.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Like all of Stanley’s Quencher tumblers, the neon collection will be recycled stainless steel with a three-position FlowState lid and straw. Emilee Coblentz, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 Capito expressed concerns about how such policies could impact the costs of products and the access rural communities have to recycling. Ricardo Torres, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024 Those that are left behind, as well as extras, are recycled. Thr Staff, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 That includes habits at home, such as promptly recycling mail or putting your keys in the same place every day. Annie Midori Atherton, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2024 Many get items get recycled or shredded, but many also end up in landfills. Abby Ferguson, Popular Science, 28 Feb. 2024 The pens include a glass vial in a plastic frame, and are not designed to be disassembled into parts for the purpose of recycling. Ted Alcorn, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024 Instead of wearing a new or custom garment, the star chose to recycle her 2020 Oscars look, which was designed by Gucci’s then-creative director Alessandro Michele. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 22 Feb. 2024 There’s also the matter of time: Waiting up to a year for waste to be safely recycled will deter many people — and the ick factor may be hard to shake. Jacqui Palumbo, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024
Noun
Remove packaging: To save space and boost appearances, remove and recycle product packaging when possible and practical. Marni Jameson, The Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2024 Dump the contents of the drawer onto the towel and start sorting into keep, recycle, or trash. Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 13 Nov. 2023 One common way the Restore recycles is by stripping the wood from broken furniture and turning it into mulch, Watkins said. Marjorie Kirk, Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2024 My teams have worked to build, pilot and scale solutions that can monitor food on its journey to our store shelves as well as the infrastructure to recycle waste properly. Ryan Begin, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023 Nationally, only 59% of households that can recycle do. Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 16 Jan. 2024 There are more expensive tiers for those with more waste and complicated materials to recycle; the plan that recycles foam costs $24 a month. Carly Olson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2024 That meant certain costs the twin operations were supposed to share, including site development and systems to treat and recycle water, fell entirely on the rubber plant. Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 28 Dec. 2023 Laguna Beach In Laguna Beach, Waste Management will for the next three weeks collect and recycle holiday trees. Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'recycle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1925, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1926, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of recycle was in 1925

Dictionary Entries Near recycle

Cite this Entry

“Recycle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recycle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

recycle

verb
re·​cy·​cle
(ˈ)rē-ˈsī-kəl
: to process (as liquid body waste, glass, or cans) in order to regain materials for human use

More from Merriam-Webster on recycle

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