Rethrow

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. To cast or hurl something once more after an earlier throw ; to propagate an error or exception again after it has been caught and handled
2. Launch something anew by tossing it a second time ; pass an error or exception back up to a caller after catching it
3. Fling or toss an object again in another attempt ; rethrow a caught exception so that it continues to propagate in the program

Etymology: "Rethrow" is about as transparent as English compounds get: the prefix "re-" meaning "again" attached to "throw." The verb throw goes back to Old English "þrāwan," meaning to turn or twist, and its sense of hurling an object developed later. So a rethrow is literally a throwing back again, or a second throw. The prefix carries most of the history here. "Re-" came into English from Latin "re-" (back, again), which passed through Old French "re-" before arriving in Middle English. It is one of the most productive prefixes in the language, which is why English speakers can attach it to almost any verb and be understood at once, as with "rewrite," "replay," or "rebuild."

Synonyms: re-raise, propagate