retool

English

Etymology

From re- +‎ tool.

Pronunciation

• enPR: rē-to͞ol, IPA^(key): /riːˈtuːl/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• (Scotland, Northern Ireland) IPA^(key): /riˈtʉl/
• Rhymes: -uːl

Verb

retool (third-person singular simple present retools, present participle retooling, simple past and past participle retooled)

1. (transitive) To adjust; to optimize; to rebuild.

   He decided it was time to retool last year's marketing brochure.

   • 2023 May 6, James Poniewozik, “Charles III Was Crowned King. But Can He Ever Be the Star?”, in The New York Times‎:

     The coronation of a British ruler is, of course, a political ritual and a religious ceremony. But it is also, as the crowning of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 established, a TV show. It’s an anachronistic assertion of divine right retooled to recognize that, in the electronic era, even hereditary rulers have to argue their relevance.

Derived terms

• retooler

Translations

to adjust, to rebuild

German: umrüsten (de), umstellen (de) Spanish: modificar el utillaje

Anagrams

• looter, rootle, tooler