Regluing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Attaching something again with adhesive, as when a broken piece is bonded back into place
2. Bonding a separated part back onto an object by applying fresh glue to it once more
3. Fixing a loose or detached item back together using glue applied anew

Etymology: "Regluing" is simply the present participle and gerund of "reglue," a verb formed by attaching the prefix "re-", meaning "again," to "glue." The base word "glue" came into English from Old French "glu," which traces back to a Latin word for birdlime, the sticky substance used to catch birds. Adding "re-" creates the sense of applying adhesive a second time, so the verb describes repairing a joint or fragment that has come apart and reattaching it with fresh glue. Because "re-" is a productive prefix that English attaches freely to ordinary verbs, "reglue" needed no special coinage: it is a transparent compound whose meaning can be read directly from its two parts. The "-ing" ending, which turns the verb into a participle and gerund, is a standard inflection with no separate history of its own.