verb
reclaim
rih-KLAYM
verb
1
To get something back that was lost, taken, or given up.
"She reclaimed her maiden name after the divorce."
"He went to the lost-and-found to reclaim his umbrella."
2
To make land usable again, especially by draining water or clearing waste from it.
"The city reclaimed the old dockyards and turned them into a park."
3
To recover useful material from waste so it can be reused.
"The factory reclaims scrap metal from old appliances."
How to Use Reclaim
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo take back or restore something — a possession, a piece of land, or a word.
Common pairings
reclaim land
reclaim your identity
reclaimed wood
Word Forms
reclaimed past tense, reclaims singular
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She _____ her maiden name after the divorce.
Etymology
From Old French reclamer, from Latin reclamare, "to cry out against, protest" — the sense shifted over time from "call back" to today's "get back" or "restore."