rewire

English

Etymology

re- +‎ wire

Pronunciation

• (verb) IPA^(key): /ɹiːˈwaɪə(ɹ)/
• (noun) IPA^(key): /ˈɹiːwaɪə(ɹ)/
• Rhymes: -aɪə(ɹ)

Verb

rewire (third-person singular simple present rewires, present participle rewiring, simple past and past participle rewired)

1. To replace or reconnect the wires of a device or installation.

   I had to rewire the circuit where the old wires had shorted out.

   The electrician said that we couldn't add a new outlet without rewiring.

   • 2019 October 23, Pip Dunn, “The next king of Scotland”, in Rail, page 50:

     During those overhauls the locomotives were also rewired, updated, and had any corrosion dealt with.

2. To change the functionality of something by altering the parameters or logic.

   When our companies merged, I rewired our payment processing system to handle their invoices as well.

Noun

rewire (plural rewires)

1. The act of replacing the wires of something.
   • 2023 November 29, “Test runs for WCR fleet returnees”, in RAIL, number 997, page 24:

     Meanwhile, at the Nemesis site at Burton, 47760 is close to a return to traffic after a rewire and overheal.

See also

• retool