reclaim

present singular third person reclaims · participle present reclaiming · participle past reclaimed · past reclaimed

1. transitiveTo return land to a suitable condition for use.
2. transitiveTo obtain useful products from waste; to recycle.
3. transitiveTo claim something back; to repossess.
4. datedtransitiveTo return someone to a proper course of action, or correct an error; to reform.

   Your errour, in time reclaimed, will be veniall.

   1609, Edward Hoby, A Letter to Mr. T[heophilus] H[iggons], late Minister: now Fugitive ... in answere of his first Motive

   3 more examples

   His Highneſſe pleaſure is that he ſhould liue, And be reclaim’d with princely lenitie.

   c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene ii

   They, hardened more by what might most reclaim, / Grieving to see his glory […] took envy.

   1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC

   It is the intention of Providence, in all the various expressions of his goodness, to reclaim mankind.

   a. 1729, John Rogers, The Goodness of God a Motive to Repentance

5. archaictransitiveTo tame or domesticate a wild animal.

   an eagle well reclaimed

   1700, [John] Dryden, “Palamon and Arcite: Or, The Knight’s Tale. In Three Books.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

6. archaictransitiveTo call back from flight or disorderly action; to call to, for the purpose of subduing or quieting.

   They were the head-strong horses, who hurried Octavius […] along, and were deaf to his reclaiming them.

   1697, Virgil, “The First Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

7. archaictransitiveTo cry out in opposition or contradiction; to exclaim against anything; to contradict; to take exceptions.

   At a later period Grote reclaimed strongly against Mill's setting Whately above Hamilton.

   1882, Alexander Bain, Biography of James Mill

   2 more examples

   True it is he was very wild in his youth till God (the best Chymick who can fix quicksilver it self) gratiously reclaim'd him

   1642, Thomas Fuller, The Holy State, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Roger Daniel for John Williams, […], →OCLC

   Scripture reclaims, and the whole Catholic church reclaims, and Christian ears would not bear it.

   1719, Daniel Waterland, A Vindication of Christ's Divinit

8. obsoleterareTo draw back; to give way.

   Yet would he not perswaded be for ought, Ne from his currish will a whit reclame.

   1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto III”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC

9. ScotlandintransitivelawTo appeal from the Lord Ordinary to the inner house of the Court of Session.
10. human sciencesTo bring back a term into acceptable usage, usually of a slur, and usually by the group that was once targeted by that slur.

    Once a term of homophobic abuse, the term “queer” has been reclaimed as a marker for some gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender (GLBT), and other marginalized sexual identities.

plural reclaims

1. countableobsoleteuncountablefalconryThe calling back of a hawk.
2. countableobsoleteuncountableThe bringing back or recalling of a person; the fetching of someone back.

   The louing couple need no reskew feare, / But leasure had, and libertie to frame / Their purpost flight, free from all mens reclame […].

   1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC

3. countableuncountableAn effort to take something back, to reclaim something.
4. abbreviationclippingcountableuncountableClipping of baggage reclaim.
5. countableuncountableMaterial recovered from something that has already been used.

   Is it okay to smoke cannabis reclaim?