Standard Lemma guide

recycle

noun · verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˌɹiːˈsaɪkəl/
  • UK: [ˌɹiːˈsaɪkɫ̩]
  • UK: /ˌɹɪˈsaɪkəl/
  • UK: [ˌɹɪ̝ˈsaɪkɫ̩]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ɹəˈsaɪkəl/
  • General-American: /ɹɪˈsaɪkəl/
  • General-American: /ɹiˈsaɪkəl/
  • /ɹɪˈsʌɪk(ə)l/ Canada, Canadian raising
  • [ɹɪˈsəi̯k(ə)ɫ] Canada, Canadian raising
  • rhymes with -aɪkəl
  • CMU ARPABET: R IY0 S AY1 K AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An act of recycling.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To break down and reuse component materials.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Both paper and plastic can be recycled.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To reuse as a whole.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To collect or place in a bin for recycling.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To be recycled.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ergative, intransitive

Examples

  • Sulfur recycles in the sulfur cycle.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To discard into a recycling bin.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To put (a person) through a course of training again.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, transitive

Topics: government, military, politics, war

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To skate toward the rear of the engagement zone to maximize the time that an opposing jammer must spend before returning to the action.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: roller derby

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: waterfall

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

use again after processing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • We must recycle the cardboard boxes

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: reprocess, reuse

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: use, utilize, utilise, apply, employ

Narrower terms: rehash, reclaim, recover

10

verb

Meaning 10

cause to repeat a cycle

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cycle

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Italic *wre- Latin re-der. Old French re-bor. Middle English re- English re- Proto-Indo-European *kwel- Proto-Indo-European *kwékwlos Ancient Greek κῠ́κλος (kŭ́klos)der. Late Latin cyclusbor. Middle English cicle English cycle English recycle From re- + cycle.

Across languages

Translations

93 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: إِعَادَةْ تَدْوِير (ʔiʕādat tadwīr) — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Arabic: ريسايكل (rīsāykel) — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Azerbaijani: təkrar emal etmək — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Basque: birziklatu — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Bulgarian: преработвам (prerabotvam) — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Catalan: reciclar — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Chinese Mandarin: 循環再造 /循环再造 (xúnhuán zàizào) — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Chinese Mandarin: 回收 (huíshōu) — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Czech: recyklovat — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Danish: genbruge — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Danish: genanvende — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Dutch: recycleren — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Dutch: recyclen — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Dutch: hergebruiken — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Esperanto: recikligi — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Finnish: kierrättää — to break down and reuse component materials
  • French: recycler — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Galician: reciclar — to break down and reuse component materials
  • German: wiederverwerten — to break down and reuse component materials
  • German: recyceln — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Greek: ανακυκλώνω (anakyklóno) — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Greenlandic: atoqqippaa — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Hindi: पुनर्चक्रण (punarcakraṇ) — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Hungarian: újrahasznosít — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Hungarian: újrafeldolgoz — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Hungarian: újrafelhasznál — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Hungarian: reciklál — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Icelandic: endurvinna — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Ido: ricikligar — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Indonesian: daur ulang — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Irish: athchúrsáil — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Italian: riciclare — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Japanese: 再生する (saisei suru) — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Japanese: リサイクルする (risaikuru suru) — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Khmer: កែច្នៃឡើងវិញ (kaecnaylaəngvɨñ) — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Korean: 재활용하다 (jaehwaryonghada) — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Northern Kurdish: veçerxandin — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Northern Kurdish: veçerxîn — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Macedonian: рецикли́ра (reciklíra) — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Malay: kitar semula — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Māori: hangarua — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Norman: r'cyclier — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Norwegian Bokmål: gjenvinne — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Norwegian Bokmål: gjenbruke — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Norwegian Bokmål: resirkulere — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Persian: بازیافت کردن (bâzyâft kardan) — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Polish: przetwarzać — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Polish: przetworzyć — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Polish: poddawać recyklingowi — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Portuguese: reciclar — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Romanian: recicla — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Russian: рециркули́ровать (recirkulírovatʹ) — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Russian: перераба́тывать (pererabátyvatʹ) — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Russian: перерабо́тать (pererabótatʹ) — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Scottish Gaelic: ath-chuairtich — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Spanish: reciclar — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Swedish: återvinna — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Swedish: återanvända — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Tagalog: paliikot — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Thai: รีไซเคิล (rii-sai-kə̂n) — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Turkish: geri dönüşüm — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Turkish: geri dönüştürmek — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Ukrainian: переробля́ти (pererobljáty) — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Vietnamese: tái chế — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Welsh: ailgylchu — to break down and reuse component materials
  • Bulgarian: използвам отново (izpolzvam otnovo) — to reuse as a whole
  • Chinese Mandarin: 再利用 (zàilìyòng) — to reuse as a whole
  • Danish: genbruge — to reuse as a whole
  • Dutch: herbruiken — to reuse as a whole
  • Esperanto: reuzi — to reuse as a whole
  • Finnish: kierrättää — to reuse as a whole
  • French: recycler — to reuse as a whole
  • French: réutiliser — to reuse as a whole
  • Galician: reusar — to reuse as a whole
  • German: wiederverwerten — to reuse as a whole
  • Hindi: पुनर्चक्रण (punarcakraṇ) — to reuse as a whole
  • Hungarian: újrahasznosít — to reuse as a whole
  • Icelandic: endurnota — to reuse as a whole
  • Icelandic: endurnýta — to reuse as a whole
  • Ido: reciklar — to reuse as a whole
  • Italian: riutilizzare — to reuse as a whole
  • Japanese: 再利用する (sairiyō suru) — to reuse as a whole
  • Norwegian Bokmål: gjenbruke — to reuse as a whole
  • Norwegian Bokmål: resirkulere — to reuse as a whole
  • Portuguese: reciclar — to reuse as a whole
  • Portuguese: reusar — to reuse as a whole
  • Russian: повто́рно испо́льзовать (povtórno ispólʹzovatʹ) — to reuse as a whole
  • Russian: рециркули́ровать (recirkulírovatʹ) — to reuse as a whole
  • Scottish Gaelic: ath-chuairtich — to reuse as a whole
  • Spanish: reusar — to reuse as a whole
  • Swedish: återanvända — to reuse as a whole
  • Hungarian: szelektálja a hulladékot — to place in a bin for recycling
  • Hungarian: szelektíven gyűjti a hulladékot — to place in a bin for recycling