reprocess

verb

re·​pro·​cess (ˌ)rē-ˈprä-ˌses 

-ˈprō-,

-səs

reprocessed; reprocessing; reprocesses

transitive verb

: to subject to a special process or treatment in preparation for reuse

especially : to extract uranium and plutonium from (the spent fuel rods of a nuclear reactor) for use again as fuel

Examples of reprocess in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Stocks were hammered in Southeast Asia, after Mr. Trump’s tariffs landed heavily on countries that reprocess a lot of Chinese components for the United States market, bypassing until now the American tariffs on goods coming straight from China. —Keith Bradsher, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025

This new material is an improvement of CFRPs because it can be reshaped and reprocessed after forming, can be manufactured faster, has higher impact resistance, is recyclable and remoldable, and has lower processing costs. —New Atlas, 27 Mar. 2025

The team also oversaw the removal of heavy water, a substance used as a coolant in nuclear reactors, and irradiated fuel, nuclear fuel that can be reprocessed to extract materials for nuclear weapons. —Eric Cheung, CNN, 1 Mar. 2025

Tackling the reprocessing challenges Curio’s NuCycle process tackles both problems. —Jim Vinoski, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

reprocess

verb

re·​pro·​cess rē-ˈpräs-ˌes 

-ˈprōs-,

-es

: to subject to a special process or treatment in preparation for reuse