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re·vert (rĭ-vûrt)
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v. re·vert·ed, re·vert·ing, re·verts
v.intr.
1.
a. To go back to a former condition, practice, subject, or belief: a meadow reverting to forest; a reformed shoplifter reverting to old habits; a speaker reverting to her opening remarks.
b. To resume using something that has been disused: had to revert to the typewriter when the computer failed.
2. Law To be returned to the former owner or to the former owner's heirs. Used of money or property.
3. Genetics To undergo reversion.
4. Chiefly South Asian To reply.
v.tr.
1. To cause to go back to a former condition, practice, subject, or belief: "The doctor was reverted to the rank of Assistant Surgeon" (George Orwell).
2. Law To return (an estate, for example) to the grantor or the grantor's heirs or successor.
[Middle English reverten, from Old French revertir, from Vulgar Latin *revertīre, variant of Latin revertere : re-, re- + vertere, to turn; see wer-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
re·verter n.
re·verti·ble adj.
re·vertive adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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