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Webster 1913 Edition


Recover

Re-cov′er

(r?-k?v′?r)
,
Verb.
T.
[Pref.
re-
+
cover
: cf. F.
recouvrir
.]
To cover again.
Sir W. Scott.

Re-cov′er

(r?-k?v′?r)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Recovered
(-?rd)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Recovering
. ]
[OE.
recoveren
, OF.
recovrer
, F.
recouvrer
, from L.
recuperare
; pref.
re-
re + a word of unknown origin. Cf.
Recuperate
.]
1.
To get or obtain again; to get renewed possession of; to win back; to regain.
David
recovered
all that the Amalekites had carried away.
1. Sam. xxx. 18.
2.
To make good by reparation; to make up for; to retrieve; to repair the loss or injury of;
as, to
recover
lost time
.
“Loss of catel may recovered be.”
Chaucer.
Even good men have many failings and lapses to lament and
recover
.
Rogers.
3.
To restore from sickness, faintness, or the like; to bring back to life or health; to cure; to heal.
The wine in my bottle will
recover
him.
Shakespeare
4.
To overcome; to get the better of, – as a state of mind or body.
I do hope to
recover
my late hurt.
Cowley.
When I had
recovered
a little my first surprise.
De Foe.
5.
To rescue; to deliver.
That they may
recover
themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him.
2. Tim. ii. 26.
6.
To gain by motion or effort; to obtain; to reach; to come to.
[Archaic]
The forest is not three leagues off;
If we
recover
that, we’re sure enough.
Shakespeare
Except he could
recover
one of the Cities of Refuge he was to die.
Hales.
7.
(Law)
To gain as a compensation; to obtain in return for injury or debt;
as, to
recover
damages in trespass; to
recover
debt and costs in a suit at law
; to obtain title to by judgement in a court of law;
as, to
recover
lands in ejectment or common recovery
; to gain by legal process;
as, to
recover
judgement against a defendant
.
Recover arms
(Mil. Drill)
,
a command whereby the piece is brought from the position of “aim” to that of “ready.”
Syn. – To regain; repossess; resume; retrieve; recruit; heal; cure.

Re-cov′er

(r?-k?v′?r)
,
Verb.
I.
1.
To regain health after sickness; to grow well; to be restored or cured; hence, to regain a former state or condition after misfortune, alarm, etc.; – often followed by of or from;
as, to
recover
from a state of poverty; to
recover
from fright.
Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall
recover
of this disease.
2 Kings i. 2.
2.
To make one's way; to come; to arrive.
[Obs.]
With much ado the Christians
recovered
to Antioch.
Fuller.
3.
(Law)
To obtain a judgement; to succeed in a lawsuit;
as, the plaintiff has
recovered
in his suit
.

Re-cov′er

,
Noun.
Recovery.
Sir T. Malory.

Webster 1828 Edition


Recover

RECOVER

,
Verb.
T.
[L. recupero; re and capio, to take.]
1.
To regain; to get or obtain that which was lost; as, to recover stolen goods; to recover a town or territory which an enemy had taken; to recover sight or senses; to recover health or strength after sickness.
David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away. 1Sam. 30.
2.
To restore from sickness; as, to recover one from leprosy. 2Kings 5.
3.
To revive from apparent death; as, to recover a drowned man.
4.
To regain by reparation; to repair the loss of, or to repair an injury done by neglect; as, to recover lost time.
Good men have lapses and failings to lament and recover.
5.
To regain a former state by liberation from capture or possession.
That they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil. 2Tim. 2.
6.
To gain as a compensation; to obtain in return for injury or debt; as, to recover damages in trespass; to recover debt and cost in a suit at law.
7.
To reach; to come to.
The forest is not three leagues off; if we recover that, we're sure enough.
8.
To obtain title to by judgment in a court of law; as, to recover lands in ejectment or common recovery.

RECOVER

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To regain health after sickness; to grow well; followed by of or from.
Go, inquire of Beelzebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover of this disease. 2Kings 1.
2.
To regain a former state or condition after misfortune; as, to recover from a state of poverty or depression.
3.
To obtain a judgment in law; to succeed in a lawsuit. The plaintiff has recovered in his suit.

Definition 2024


recover

recover

See also: re-cover

English

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Verb

recover (third-person singular simple present recovers, present participle recovering, simple past and past participle recovered)

  1. (transitive) To get back, regain (a physical thing lost etc.).
    After days of inquiries, he finally recovered his lost wallet.
    • Bible, 1 Sam. xxx. 18
      David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away.
    • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 22, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
      Not unnaturally, Auntie took this communication in bad part. Thus outraged, she showed herself to be a bold as well as a furious virago. Next day she found her way to their lodgings and tried to recover her ward by the hair of the head.
  2. (transitive) To return to, resume (a given state of mind or body).
    At the top of the hill I asked to stop for a few minutes to recover my strength.
  3. (transitive, obsolete) To reach (a place), arrive at.
    • Fuller
      With much ado the Christians recovered to Antioch.
    • Shakespeare
      The forest is not three leagues off; / If we recover that, we're sure enough.
    • Hales
      Except he could recover one of the Cities of Refuge he was to die.
  4. (transitive, archaic) To restore to good health, consciousness, life etc.
    • Shakespeare
      The wine in my bottle will recover him.
    • 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, vol.I, New York, 2001, p.233-4:
      Cnelius a physician [] gave him a clyster, by which he was speedily recovered.
    • Bible, 2. Tim. ii. 26
      that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him
  5. (transitive, archaic) To make good by reparation; to make up for; to retrieve; to repair the loss or injury of.
    to recover lost time
    • Rogers
      Even good men have many failings and lapses to lament and recover.
  6. (transitive, archaic) To get better from; to get over.
    To the end of his days, he never fully recovered his daughter's death.
    • Cowley
      I do hope to recover my late hurt.
    • De Foe
      when I had recovered a little my first surprise
  7. (intransitive) To get better, regain one's health.
    I was hurt, but I knew I'd recover, given time.
  8. (intransitive) To regain one's composure, balance etc.
    Spinning round, he caught a stone with his ankle, but recovered quickly before turning to face me.
    • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess:
      Meanwhile Nanny Broome was recovering from her initial panic and seemed anxious to make up for any kudos she might have lost, by exerting her personality to the utmost. She took the policeman's helmet and placed it on a chair, and unfolded his tunic to shake it and fold it up again for him.
  9. (intransitive, law) To obtain a judgement; to succeed in a lawsuit.
    The plaintiff has recovered in his suit.
  10. (transitive, law) To gain as compensation or reparation.
    to recover damages in trespass; to recover debt and costs in a suit at law
    to recover lands in ejectment or common recovery
  11. (transitive, law) To gain by legal process.
    to recover judgement against a defendant
Translations
Related terms

Noun

recover (plural recovers)

  1. (obsolete) Recovery. [14th-17thc.]
    • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter xiiij, in Le Morte Darthur, book XX:
      It was neuer in my thoughte saide laūcelot to withholde the quene from my lord Arthur / but in soo moche she shold haue ben dede for my sake / me semeth it was my parte to saue her lyf and putte her from that daunger tyl better recouer myghte come / & now I thanke god sayd sir Launcelot that the pope hath made her pees
  2. (military) A position of holding a firearm during exercises, whereby the lock is at shoulder height and the sling facing out.

Etymology 2

re- + cover.

Pronunciation

Verb

recover (third-person singular simple present recovers, present participle recovering, simple past and past participle recovered)

  1. To cover again.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Sir Walter Scott to this entry?)
  2. (roofing) To add a new roof membrane or steep-slope covering over an existing one.

Anagrams