reprocess

verb

re·​pro·​cess (ˌ)rē-ˈprä-ˌses 

-ˈprō-, 

-səs

reprocessed; reprocessing; reprocesses

transitive verb

: to subject to a special process or treatment in preparation for reuse

especially : to extract uranium and plutonium from (the spent fuel rods of a nuclear reactor) for use again as fuel

Examples of reprocess in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In addition, spent fuel that isn't reprocessed is composed almost entirely of uranium, so this can be put to good use as well. —New Atlas, 14 Nov. 2025

The government has since met benchmarks imposed under a settlement, which officials say will enable them to bring in more for experiments and reprocessing in the future. —Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 12 Nov. 2025

The country is still figuring out where to bury its nuclear waste, and some cities have seen impassioned protests over plans for waste reprocessing plants. —Brad Plumer, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2025

The United States pioneered reprocessing during the Manhattan Project, but halted commercial efforts due to concerns about rising costs and global plutonium stockpiles. —Kathryn Huff, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

reprocess

verb

re·​pro·​cess rē-ˈpräs-ˌes 

-ˈprōs-, 

-es

: to subject to a special process or treatment in preparation for reuse