Reclothe

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To provide clothing again to someone or something after it has been removed
2. To redress an object or individual with new garments or coverings for purposes of appearance or protection
3. To furnish anew with attire, thereby restoring a level of modesty or decorum previously lost

Etymology: "Reclothe" is a straightforward formation: the prefix "re-", meaning "again" or "back," attached to "clothe." The verb "clothe" comes from Old English "clāþian," itself related to "clāþ," meaning cloth or garment, so the whole word simply means to dress someone or something in clothing once more. Its literal sense is very close to its everyday use, which is why it reads so transparently. The prefix does the work here. "Re-" joins many English verbs to signal a repeated action, such as "rebuild" or "reheat," and "reclothe" follows the same pattern, restoring garments to a person or object that had been stripped of them.

Synonyms: redress, reoutfit, drape, garb, attire

Antonyms: strip, undress, disrobe, bare, expose