Refresher

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɹiˈfɹɛʃə/

Definitions

1. A short instructional review intended to renew understanding and skills
2. A concise session or material designed to reinforce or update previously learned information or abilities
3. An overview conducted to help someone recall or strengthen skills and knowledge acquired earlier

Etymology: "Refresher" is a plain English formation: the verb "refresh" with the agent suffix "-er" attached. "Refresh" itself came into English from Old French "refreschir", which combined "re-" (again) with "fresche" (fresh), so the word essentially means "one who makes something fresh again." The agent suffix has a longer ancestry: it descends from the Latin "-arius," which passed through Old French "-ier" and entered Middle English as "-er," and it has been used to form nouns denoting a person or thing that performs an action since Old English. The sense has narrowed over time. Where "refresher" once could mean anything that restored strength or spirits, its modern use is specific to education and training, meaning a short course that revives knowledge someone already once had. The word applies a general idea of renewal to skills that have grown rusty.

Synonyms: review, recap