refit

See also: refît

English

Etymology

re- +‎ fit

Pronunciation

• (noun) IPA^(key): /ˈɹiːfɪt/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

  • Rhymes: -iːfɪt
• (noun) IPA^(key): /ɹiːˈfɪt/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

  • Rhymes: -ɪt

Noun

refit (plural refits)

1. The process of having something fitted again, repaired or restored.

   The ship required a refit before setting out again.

Related terms

• retrofit

Verb

refit (third-person singular simple present refits, present participle refitting, simple past and past participle refitted or refit)

1. (transitive) To fit again; to put back into its place.
   • 1677, Philip Meadows, A Narrative of the Principal Actions Occurring in the Wars Betwixt Sueden and Denmark, London: A.C. and H. Brome, pp. 122-123,^[1]

     The truth is they made no great scruple, at least for that one time, to come under the Stern of their Neighbouring Common-wealth, thereby to have better leisure to recollect and refit the scattered planks and pieces of their own broken Republic.

   • 1685, chapter 48, in Charles Cotton, transl., Essays of Michael, seigneur de Montaigne‎^[2], volume 1, London: T. Basset and W. Hensman, page 558:

     […] I have seen a Man ride with both his feet upon the Saddle, take off his Saddle, and at his return take it up again, refit, and remount it, riding all the while full speed;

   • 1961, Irving Stone, The Agony and the Ecstasy‎^[3], Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Book 9, p. 554:

     Michelangelo took a group outside and in full view of the papal troops refitted the fallen, shattered stone into the walls.

   • 1978, André Brink, Rumours of Rain‎^[4], Penguin, published 1984, page 51:

     […] for the next half-hour I looked on, fascinated, while his large soft hands took apart the entire pump and refitted the parts.

2. (transitive) To prepare for use again; to repair or restore.

   to refit a garment; to refit ships of war

   • 1678, Thomas Smith, Remarks upon the Manners, Religion and Government of the Turks‎^[5], London: Moses Pitt, page 323:

     But these [aqueducts] by the sloth and carelesness of the Greeks and Turks falling to decay and rendred useless, were restored and refitted by the Emperor Suleiman, who was so intent upon this great work, that he said he would go on with it, although the laying every stone stood him in a purse of money […]

   • 1797, Edmund Burke, A third letter to a Member of the present Parliament: on the proposals for peace with the regicide directory of France‎^[6], London: F. and C. Rivington, pages 138–139:

     […] all the three theatres have been repeatedly altered, and refitted, and enlarged, to make them capacious of the crowds, that nightly flock to them;

   • 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, “Chapter 19”, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volumes (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC, page 364:

     The allied fleet, having been speedily refitted at Portsmouth, stood out again to sea.

   • 1996, George R. R. Martin, A Game of Thrones‎^[7], New York: Random House, published 2003, page 260:

     His girth required Donal Noye to take apart a mail hauberk and refit it with leather panels at the sides.

3. (transitive) To fit out or supply again (with something).
   • 1679, John Goodman, chapter 5, in The Penitent Pardoned‎^[8], London: R. Royston, page 332:

     For what can be more comfortable then to be asserted from the power of the grave, and rescued from death and mortality, to have our Soul refitted with Organs, and all the bodily powers awakened again so as to lose nothing by our fall;

   • 1697, John Dryden (translator), Virgil’s Aeneis, Book 1, lines 776-777, in The Works of Virgil, London: Jacob Tonson, p. 224,^[9]

     Permit our Ships a Shelter on your Shoars,

     Refitted from your Woods with Planks and Oars;

4. (intransitive, nautical) To prepare a vessel for use again (e.g. by replenishing depleted supplies or doing maintenance or repair work); (of a vessel) to be prepared for use again.
   • 1669, uncredited translator, Memoires of Henry, D. of Guise, London: Henry Herringman, Book 5, p. 499,^[10]

     […] I discovered two Gallies making towards Nicita, whom I saluted with two Cannons, which I levelled and fired my self, so happily, that one of them being shot through between wind and water, was fain to go off to refit, and the other had three or four slaves killed.

   • 1789, Olaudah Equiano, chapter 9, in The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano‎^[11], volume 2, London: for the author, page 117:

     As soon as we were out of danger, we came to anchor and refitted;

   • 1847, Herman Melville, chapter 9, in Omoo‎^[12]:

     A little to leeward of this was a small cluster of islands, where we were going to refit, abounding with delicious fruits […]

   • 1932, Nevil Shute, chapter 6, in Lonely Road‎^[13], London: Heinemann:

     “She’s a cargo ship, isn’t she?” she asked. “Goods, and that?”
     I nodded. “She hasn’t got anything in her now. She’s just come up from Falmouth in ballast. She’s come in to refit.”

   • 1946 March and April, “Notes and News: Anglo-Irish Steamship Fleets”, in Railway Magazine, page 118:

     The Leinster has been in use as a hospital ship and a transport, but is now released and is refitting for her regular service.

Derived terms

• refitment
• refitter
• refitting

Related terms

• retrofit

Anagrams

• efrit, freit, treif, trife

French

Verb

refit

1. third-person singular past historic of refaire

Anagrams

• frite
• rétif