reclaim
verb /rɪˈkleɪm/
/rɪˈkleɪm/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they reclaim | /rɪˈkleɪm/ /rɪˈkleɪm/ |
| he / she / it reclaims | /rɪˈkleɪmz/ /rɪˈkleɪmz/ |
| past simple reclaimed | /rɪˈkleɪmd/ /rɪˈkleɪmd/ |
| past participle reclaimed | /rɪˈkleɪmd/ /rɪˈkleɪmd/ |
| -ing form reclaiming | /rɪˈkleɪmɪŋ/ /rɪˈkleɪmɪŋ/ |
- to get something back or to ask to have it back after it has been lost, taken away, etc.
- reclaim something You'll have to go to the police station to reclaim your wallet.
- reclaim something from somebody/something The team reclaimed the title from their rivals.
- reclaim something (from something) to make land that is naturally too wet or too dry suitable to be built on, farmed, etc.
- The site for the airport will be reclaimed from the swamp.
- reclaimed land
- [usually passive] reclaim something if a piece of land is reclaimed by desert, forest, etc., it turns back into desert, etc. after being used for farming or building
- reclaim something (from something) to obtain materials from waste products so that they can be used again
- 80% of aluminium could be reclaimed.
- reclaim somebody (from something) to rescue somebody from a bad or criminal way of life
Word OriginMiddle English (used in falconry in the sense ‘recall’): from Old French reclamer, from Latin reclamare ‘cry out against’, from re- ‘back’ + clamare ‘to shout’.