Reknot

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To tie something into a knot a second time after it has come loose or been untied
2. Fastening together again by forming a fresh knot in rope, cord, thread or similar material
3. Binding or securing a line or string once more by tying it into a new knot

Etymology: "Reknot" is about as transparent as English compounds get: the prefix "re-", meaning "again," attached to "knot." It tells you what the verb does, tying something up again after it has come loose or been untied. The base word "knot" is itself ancient, coming down from Old English "cnotta," and it has long carried the sense of a tangle or a fastening made by looping cord on itself. Adding "re-" to a verb of this kind is a productive pattern in English, so "reknot" was formed as needed rather than inherited from an older word. It is the same kind of formation as "retie" or "rebind," and the meaning follows directly from the parts.