Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Reclaim?

\Re*claim"\, v. t. To claim back; to demand the return of as a right; to attempt to recover possession of. A tract of land [Holland] snatched from an element perpetually reclaiming its prior occupancy. --W. Coxe.
\Re*claim"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Reclaimed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Reclaiming}.] [F. r['e]clamer, L. reclamare, reclamatum, to cry out against; pref. re- re- + clamare to call or cry aloud. See {Claim}.] 1. To call back, as a hawk to the wrist in falconry, by a certain customary call. --Chaucer. 2. To call back from flight or disorderly action; to call to, for the purpose of subduing or quieting. The headstrong horses hurried Octavius . . . along, and were deaf to his reclaiming them. --Dryden. 3. To reduce from a wild to a tamed state; to bring under discipline; -- said especially of birds trained for the chase, but also of other animals. ``An eagle well reclaimed.'' --Dryden. 4. Hence: To reduce to a desired state by discipline, labor, cultivation, or the like; to rescue from being wild, desert, waste, submerged, or the like; as, to reclaim wild land, overflowed land, etc. 5. To call back to rectitude from moral wandering or transgression; to draw back to correct deportment or course of life; to reform. It is the intention of Providence, in all the various expressions of his goodness, to reclaim mankind. --Rogers. 6. To correct; to reform; -- said of things. [Obs.] Your error, in time reclaimed, will be venial. --Sir E. Hoby. 7. To exclaim against; to gainsay. [Obs.] --Fuller. Syn: To reform; recover; restore; amend; correct.
\Re*claim"\, v. i. 1. To cry out in opposition or contradiction; to exclaim against anything; to contradict; to take exceptions. Scripture reclaims, and the whole Catholic church reclaims, and Christian ears would not hear it. --Waterland. At a later period Grote reclaimed strongly against Mill's setting Whately above Hamilton. --Bain. 2. To bring anyone back from evil courses; to reform. They, hardened more by what might most reclaim, Grieving to see his glory . . . took envy. --Milton. 3. To draw back; to give way. [R. & Obs.] --Spenser.
\Re*claim"\, n. The act of reclaiming, or the state of being reclaimed; reclamation; recovery. [Obs.]