7.13.2009

REPRISE = RESUME = REPEAT = RECAPITULATE

(verb): To repeat or resume an action; to recapitulate.

Usage: Today's verb has spawned two different nouns. The noun "reprise," without a suffix, shows up mostly in the musical lexicon, where it refers to a repetition of or return to a phrase or theme. It could also mean a repetition of a performance. A reprisal, on the other hand, is an act of vengeance taken against injuries received involving the seizure or damage of person or property. It derives from an earlier meaning of the verb.

Suggested Usage: Parenting often involves repetition that could be expressed by today's verb: "Why are you reprising your excuses of last weekend for coming home late? They didn't work then and they won't work now." This word is most closely associated with the arts, "Jack Nicholson starred in the 1981 reprise of the 1946 classic, 'The Postman Always Rings Twice."
Source: YourDictionary