Reapplying

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Putting something on or into use once more after it has been removed or worn out
2. The act of using or attaching something again after its initial application
3. Reintroducing or reinstating a substance, method, or effort to ensure continued effect

Etymology: "Reapplying" is simply the ongoing form of "reapply," built from the prefix "re-" meaning "again" and "apply." The root is the more surprising part: "apply" entered English in the Middle Ages from Old French "aplier," which came from Latin "applicare," meaning to fold or join one thing to another. The idea of physically folding or attaching something onto a surface is still visible when you apply a coat of paint or a dressing. Once "apply" had settled into English, it gained the sense of putting a thing to a use or purpose, and later the sense of directing one's mind or effort at a task. "Reapply" carries the same range of meanings: spreading sunscreen again after a swim, or submitting a form again after a rejection, both rest on the original picture of pressing one thing onto another, now done once more.

Synonyms: resubmitting, reinstating