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.
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