Rekeying

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Replacing the locks or access codes of a building, device, or system so that old keys no longer work ; entering data again into a computer or device to correct or update it ; reconfiguring a structure so it operates on a new lock system ; changing the encryption key used to protect information
2. Swapping out locks or passcodes so previous access credentials are no longer valid ; retyping or re-recording information into a machine to fix or refresh it ; modifying the locking mechanism of a structure to accept a different key ; altering the cryptographic key that secures a message or dataset
3. Changing the locks or access codes on a door, gadget, or network to block former keys ; re-inputting records into a computer system to correct earlier entries ; adjusting a building's locking hardware so it matches a new key set ; generating a fresh encryption key to replace an older one

Etymology: "Rekeying" is the present participle of "rekey," a verb formed in English by attaching the prefix "re-" (meaning "again" or "anew") to "key." The verb means to change the locks of a door, or the combination of a lock, so that a different key will work; it is a practical modern coinage built from two very old pieces. The "key" half descends from Old English "cǣġ," which came out of Proto-West Germanic "kaiju," and it passed through Middle English "keye" to become the modern word. The "re-" prefix has a longer road: it comes from Latin "re-," which reached English through Old French "re-," and it carries the same sense of repetition or returning to a previous state.