verb Uncommon

rewind

ree-WYND

Rewind (verb) means to wind something back to an earlier point, especially a tape, film, or recording, often in order to replay part of it. Example: “She rewound the cassette to listen to the chorus again.”

verb

To wind something back to an earlier point, especially a tape, film, or recording, often in order to replay part of it.

"She rewound the cassette to listen to the chorus again."

"Can you rewind the movie? I missed what he said."

To mentally go back to an earlier moment or point in a conversation.

"Let me rewind a second — what did you mean by that?"

noun

The act of rewinding, or the button that does it.

"He hit rewind three times trying to catch the exact line."

How to use rewind

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo play something backwards to an earlier point, or to mentally revisit something already said or done.

Common pairings

rewind the tape rewind button rewind a scene

Word forms

rewound past tense, rewinds plural, rewinds singular

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Can you _____ the movie? I missed what he said.

Etymology

Built from re- ("again") plus wind, going back to Old English windan.

Origin: Old English

Frequently asked questions

What does “rewind” mean?

The word “rewind” means to wind something back to an earlier point, especially a tape, film, or recording, often in order to replay part of it. In plain terms, to play something backwards to an earlier point, or to mentally revisit something already said or done.

How do you pronounce “rewind”?

“Rewind” is pronounced ree-WYND (/ɹiːˈwaɪnd/ in IPA).

How do you use “rewind” in a sentence?

Here is “rewind” used in a sentence: “Can you rewind the movie? I missed what he said.”

What part of speech is “rewind”?

Depending on how it is used, “rewind” can be a verb and a noun.

Where does the word “rewind” come from?

The word “rewind” comes from Old English. Built from re- ("again") plus wind, going back to Old English windan.

Is “rewind” a common word?

“Rewind” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “rewind” have?

“Rewind” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to wind something back to an earlier point, especially a tape, film, or recording, often in order to replay part of it.