Redrilling

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The process of drilling again in the same location or object to create a new or improved hole; re-penetrating material for repair, adjustment, or enhanced function
2. Performing a subsequent drilling operation on an existing drilled area to alter, fix, or improve the hole's properties or position
3. Engaging in an additional drilling procedure over a prior opening to modify, correct, or optimize the drilled hole's purpose or dimensions

Etymology: "Redrilling" is simply the present participle and gerund of "redrill," a verb formed from the prefix "re-" (meaning again) and "drill" (to pierce or bore a hole). The combination is transparent: to redrill is to bore again into a place already opened. The pattern follows the ordinary English habit of attaching "re-" to a verb to signal a repeated action, as in rewrite or reheat. The base verb "drill" is the older and more interesting element, since it carries the sense of boring a hole with a tool. Its own history is a separate matter, but within "redrill" the prefix does all the new work, turning a single boring operation into a second pass over the same opening.

Synonyms: reboring, reexcavating, reopening