Rediscovery

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. the act of finding or becoming aware of something previously known but forgotten or overlooked
2. the process of recovering knowledge or awareness of something that was once familiar but had been lost
3. locating or regaining recognition of something that existed before but had fallen into obscurity

Etymology: "Rediscovery" is about as transparent as English compounds get: the prefix "re-", meaning "again," attached to "discovery," which itself comes from the Old French "descovrir," meaning to uncover or remove a covering. "Discovery" therefore literally names the act of taking the cover off something, and "rediscovery" is the act of uncovering it a second time, which is why the word fits so neatly with things that were once known, lost, and then found again. The "re-" prefix has a longer pedigree than the rest of the word. It descends from a Proto-Italic root and passed into Latin as a prefix meaning "back" or "again," and it reached English through Old French. English has used it freely to form new words on demand, so "rediscovery" joins a large family that includes "recover," "renew," and "reclaim," all built the same way.

Synonyms: reacquisition, recovery