Reengineered

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The process of altering and redesigning an existing system or product to improve its functionality or efficiency
2. The act of extensively modifying a pre-existing item or procedure to optimize its performance or usage
3. The method of modifying or redesigning a previously existing system or object to enhance its performance or effectiveness

Etymology: "Reengineered" is the past tense and past participle of "reengineer," so the core story belongs to the verb itself. The base word "engineer" is much older, coming from Old French "engigneor," a maker of siege engines and war machines, and the "re-" prefix, meaning "again" or "back," was attached to it in English. Together they describe the act of engineering something a second time, rather than building it from scratch. The prefix has its own long road. Its ancestor is a Latin "re-," which passed into Old French and then Middle English, where it became a productive way to form new verbs. This means "reengineer" is a modern compound built from very old parts, with each piece arriving in English by a different route.

Synonyms: redesigned, revamped

Antonyms: neglected