rewind

1 of 2

verb

re·​wind (ˌ)rē-ˈwīnd 

rewound (ˌ)rē-ˈwau̇nd  ; rewinding

transitive verb

: to wind again

especially : to reverse the winding of

rewind film

rewind

2 of 2

noun

re·​wind ˈrē-ˌwīnd 

(ˌ)rē-ˈwīnd

1

: something that rewinds or is rewound

2

: an act of rewinding

3

: a function of an electronic device that reverses a recording to a previous portion

Examples of rewind in a Sentence

Verb

Rewind the tape so that we can hear that song again.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Searching for fossil evidence Let’s rewind the clock billions of years to the time of the impact that created the SPA basin, when our planet was still being pummeled by asteroid and cometary impacts. —Big Think, 17 June 2024

To rewind a little, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce set his sights on Taylor Swift during the U.S. leg of her Eras Tour, delighting everyone who likes to make sports puns and/or Swift lyrics references in daily conversation. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 2 June 2024

Noun

This rewind includes wiping Charlie’s memory of having ever taken a measurement—an action that would be impossible with a human observer. —Anil Ananthaswamy, Scientific American, 25 June 2024

The song’s trend involves using a filter filling the screen with floating hearts while a clip of the uploader plays and rewinds on a loop. —Kevin Rutherford, Billboard, 20 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1717, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

rewind

1 of 2 verb

re·​wind rē-ˈwīnd 

rewound -ˈwau̇nd  ; rewinding

: to wind again

especially : to reverse the winding of (as a video tape)

rewind

2 of 2 noun

re·​wind ˈrē-ˌwīnd 

: a function of an electronic device that reverses a recording to a previous portion