recycle

«recycle» in Mova's school dictionary: to collect it after use so it can be broken down and made… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

verb (recycle, recycles, recycled, recycling)

meaning for a pupil

1) To recycle something is to collect it after use so it can be broken down and made into something new, like turning old bottles into new ones. tree →

2) To recycle is also to use something again, for the same or a new purpose, instead of throwing it away. tree →

3) To recycle an idea or joke is to use it again, often when it is no longer fresh. tree →

sense in the lessons

In science and everyday life it is part of «reduce, reuse, recycle»: paper, cardboard, glass, metal cans and some plastics go in the recycling bin, which saves materials, energy and space in landfill. At school pupils sort rubbish into bins. Phrases: «recycle bin», «recycled paper», «recycling centre», «reduce, reuse, recycle».

examples

• We recycle our cans and bottles every week. tree →
• This notebook is made from recycled paper. tree →
• Rinse the yogurt pot before you recycle it. tree →
• Glass can be recycled again and again. tree →
• Our class recycled old boxes into a castle model. tree →
• Batteries must not go in the normal bin; take them to be recycled. tree →
• Not all plastic can be recycled. tree →
• He recycled the same joke from last year. tree →

note

Regular verb: recycled, recycling. «Recycling» is also a noun (see recycling). Recycling is not the same as reusing: reusing keeps the object as it is; recycling breaks it down to make a new thing. Dirty or greasy items (like a pizza box with oil) often cannot be recycled.

In the corpora

• Woodlice eat their own poo to recycle copper their bodies need and clean up the garden by eating dead leaves and wood.
• Aluminium and glass can be recycled again and again without wearing out.
• Batteries should be recycled at a battery bin, because in ordinary rubbish they can leak poison and start fires in bin lorries.
• Ask before using a cardboard box for a project, and recycle it after.
• Ask before using a cardboard box for a model, and recycle it afterwards to save resources.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «recycle» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.