rekey

verb

re·​key ˌrē-ˈkē How to pronounce rekey (audio)
rekeyed; rekeying

transitive verb

1
: to key (something) again
There's no sense in rekeying data that you already have in your computer.Richard O. Mann
2
: to provide (something) with a new key
rekeyed the house/room/door
You can take your lock and key to a locksmith and have them rekey it, making it unique.CNN Wire

Examples of rekey in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Overtime pay for that work, and the cost to rekey the facility's 1,800 locks, tipped the $250,000 threshold for a felony vandalism charge, prosecutors argued during Friedmann's trial in July. Kirsten Fiscus, USA TODAY, 7 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rekey.' 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

1875, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rekey was in 1875

Dictionary Entries Near rekey

Cite this Entry

“Rekey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rekey. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!