Retiming

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. Changing the timing of events or operations within a process or system to improve performance or synchronization
2. Modifying the schedule or sequence of actions in a mechanism or procedure for better coordination
3. Altering the time intervals or phase relationships in a system to optimize its function or timing

Etymology: Like many English compounds, this one is built from parts that are easy to read separately. The prefix "re-" comes from Latin, where it meant "again" or "back," and it attaches to "time," which descends from Old English "tīma." "Timing" is the noun for deciding when something happens, so "retiming" means deciding it again. Its meaning is therefore literal, with no hidden metaphor or shift in sense. Its most concrete use is in film and audio editing, where an editor retimes footage by changing its speed, stretching or compressing a sequence so that action, dialogue, and music fall in the right places. The same logic applies to engineering and computing, where a process is adjusted so that its steps occur in a better order or at the right moments relative to each other.

Synonyms: rescheduling, adjustment, reallocation, rearrangement