Reconstitute

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɹiːˈkɒnstɪtjuːt/

Definitions

1. To return an item to its initial form through the addition of liquid To reform a material from its dried state or components into a usable form To merge distinct elements back into a single, functional whole after they have been separated
2. To restore a dried or concentrated substance to its usable form by adding water or another liquid ; to assemble separated parts into a unified or functional entity
3. The process of adding liquid to revive a product from a condensed or solid state ; integrating individual components back together to recreate a complete structure

Etymology: "Reconstitute" is a plain compound: the prefix "re-", meaning "again" or "back," attached to "constitute." That second word goes back to Latin "constituere," "to set up, establish, or put in place," built from "com-" (together) and "statuere" (to set or cause to stand), so the underlying idea is of things being set up or standing together. Over time "constitute" came to mean forming or making up a whole, which is why a set of parts can "constitute" something. Reconstituting adds the sense of restoring that whole. The prefix "re-" passed from Latin into Old French, and the combined word was assembled in English from these existing parts, so the building blocks were familiar long before the compound itself appeared. The meaning reflects that logic: to set up again what was once set up.

Synonyms: restore, rebuild

Antonyms: destroy, dismantle