What does "recover" mean?
Recover: To get or obtain again; to get renewed possession of; to win back; to regain. David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away.
Additional senses
- 2.Sam. xxx.
- 3.2. 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.
- 4.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. Shak.
- 5.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.
- 6.To rescue; to deliver. That they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him.
- 7.Tim. ii.
- 8.6. 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. Shak. Except he could recover one of the Cities of Refuge he was to die. Hales.
- 9.(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."
- 10.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.
- 11.2. To make one's way; to come; to arrive. [Obs.] With much ado the Christians recovered to Antioch. Fuller.
- 12.(Law) To obtain a judgement; to succeed in a lawsuit; as, the plaintiff has recovered in his suit.
- 13.Recovery. Sir T. Malory.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00