noun
Meaning 1
A person who reverse-engineers products.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
reverse-engineer
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.
No pronunciation record was provided for this word.
verb
Meaning 2
To derive or duplicate the design, technical specifications, manufacturing methods, or functionality of an object by studying an existing product, prototype, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- 1997, Roy A. Sorensen, "The Metaphysics of Precision and Scientific Language," Noûs, vol. 31, Supplement: Philosophical Perspectives, 11, p. 363, Each creature was viewed as the artifact of a divine blueprint. The role of the biologist was to reverse engineer God's handiwork.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To create or modify an implementation to better conform to a desired goal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Back-formation from reverse engineering.
Across languages
Translations
18 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Chinese Mandarin: 逆向工程者 (nìxiàng gōngchéng zhě) — one who reverse-engineers
- Chinese Mandarin: 反向工程者 (fǎnxiàng gōngchéng zhě) — one who reverse-engineers
- Finnish: takaisinmallintaja — one who reverse-engineers
- Finnish: reversaaja — one who reverse-engineers
- Greek: ανάστροφος μηχανικός (anástrofos michanikós) — one who reverse-engineers
- Polish: osoba uprawiająca inżynierię wsteczną — one who reverse-engineers
- Spanish: ingeniero inverso — one who reverse-engineers
- Spanish: retroingeniero — one who reverse-engineers
- Spanish: ingeniero reverso — one who reverse-engineers
- Chinese Mandarin: 進行逆向工程 /进行逆向工程 (jìnxíng nìxiàng gōngchéng) — duplicate design
- Chinese Mandarin: 實施反向工程 /实施反向工程 (shíshī fǎnxiàng gōngchéng) — duplicate design
- Chinese Mandarin: 逆向 (nìxiàng) — duplicate design
- Finnish: takaisinmallintaa — duplicate design
- Finnish: reversata — duplicate design
- Polish: uprawiać inżynierię wsteczną — duplicate design
- Spanish: hacer ingeniería inversa — duplicate design
- Spanish: realizar retroingeniería — duplicate design
- Spanish: ingenierizar reversamente — duplicate design