• (RP) IPA: /ɹɪˈkʌvə/
• (GA) IPA: /ɹɪˈkʌvɚ/

recover (recovers, present participle recovering; 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 Samuel 30:18

     David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away.

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.

   • With much ado the Christians recovered to Antioch.

   • c. 1590–1591, William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act V, scene i]:

     The forest is not three leagues off; / If we recover that, we're sure enough.

   • 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.
   • 1610–1611, William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act II, scene ii]:

     The wine in my bottle will recover him.

   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 54573970 ↗:

     , vol.I, New York, 2001, p.233-4:

     Cnelius a physician […] gave him a clyster, by which he was speedily recovered.

   • Bible, 2 Timothy 2:26

     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

   • 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.

   • I do hope to recover my late hurt.

   • 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.

9. (intransitive, legal) To obtain a judgement; to succeed in a lawsuit.

   The plaintiff has recovered in his suit.

10. (transitive, legal) 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, legal) To gain by legal process.

    to recover judgement against a defendant

• recovery

• French: recouvrer
• German: zurückgewinnen
• Italian: ritrovare
• Portuguese: recuperar
• Russian: возвраща́ть

• French: récupérer, guérir, remettre
• German: genesen, erholen
• Portuguese: recuperar-se, melhorar
• Russian: выздора́вливать
• Spanish: recuperar, reponer

recover (plural recovers)

1. (obsolete) Recovery. [14^th-17^thc.]
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, [http://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/MaloryWks2/1:22.14?rgn=div2;view=fulltext 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.
3. (rowing) The forward movement in rowing, after one stroke to take another.

• (RP) IPA: /ɹiːˈkʌvə/
• (America) IPA: /ɹiˈkʌvɚ/

recover (recovers, present participle recovering; past and past participle recovered)

1. To cover again.
2. (roofing) To add a new roof membrane or steep-slope covering over an existing one.