recuperative 
pertaining to recovery, especially of strength 
or health. 
The seasons being in turn recuperative, . . . even the 
frosts of winter impart virtues that pass into summer, 
preserving the mind s vigor and fertility during the reign 
of the dog-star. A. B. Alcott, Table-Talk, p. 68. 
recuperator (re-ku'pe-ra-tor), n. [= Sp. Pg. re- 
cuperador, < L. recuperator, a recoverer, < re- 
cuperare, pp. recuperatus, recover: see renii )><'>- 
ate.} 1. One who or that which recuperates 
or recovers. 2. That part of the Ponsard fur- 
nace which answers the same purpose as the 
regenerator of the Siemens regeneration fur- 
nace. See regenerator. 
recuperatory'(re-ku'pe-ra-to-ri), . [= Sp. Pg. 
recuperaturio, < L. recuperatorius, < recuperator, 
a recoverer, < recuperare, pp. recuperatus, re- 
cover: see recuperate.'} Same as recuperative. 
Bailey. 
recur (re-ker'), v. i. ; pret. and pp. recurred, ppr. 
recurring. [< OF. recourer, recorir, recourre, 
recourir, F. recourir = Pr. recorre = Cat. recorrer 
= Sp. recurrir = Pg. recorrer = It. ricorrere, < 
L. recurrere, run back, return, recur, < re-, back, 
+ currere, run : see current^.] 1. Togo or come 
back ; return : literally or figuratively. 
When the fear of Popery was over, the Tories recurred 
to their old principles. Brougham. 
And Fancy came and at her pillow sat, . . . 
And chased away the siil\-remrring gnat. 
Tennyson, Three Sonnets to a Coquette, i. 
2. To return in thought or recollection. 
He ... had received a liberal education at a charity 
school, and was apt to recur to the days of his muffin-cap 
and leathers. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, I. 25. 
3. To return to the thought or mind. 
When any word has been used to signify an idea, that 
old idea will recur in the mind when the word is heard. 
Watts, Logic, I. vi. 3. 
Acted crime, 
Or seeming-genial venial fault, 
Recurring and suggesting still. 
Tennyson, Will. 
4. To resort ; have recourse ; turn for aid. 
For if his grace were minded, or would intend to do a 
thing inique or unjust, there were no need to recur unto 
the pope's holiness for doing thereof. 
Bp. Burnet, Records, I. ii., No. 22. 
5. To occur again or be repeated at stated in- 
tervals, or according to some rule. 
Food, sleep, amusement recur in uniform succession. 
Bacon, Advancement of Learning, ii. 272. 
In volcanic archipelagos . . . the greater eruptions 
usually recur only after long intervals. 
Darwin, Geol. Observations, i. 144. 
recure 1 ! (re-kur'), v. [< ME. recuren, < OF. re- 
curer, < L. recurare, restore by taking care of, 
make whole again, cure, also take care of, pre- 
pare carefully, < re-, again, + curare, care, cure : 
see cure, v. The verb was partly confused with 
recure 2 , ME. recouren, a form of recoveren, re- 
cover: see recure 2 , recover 2 .} I. trans. To cure 
again; cure; heal. 
Which [ills] to recure, we heartily solicit 
Your gracious self to take on you the charge 
And kingly government of this your land. 
Shak., Rich. III., iii. 7. 130. 
Jarumannus, a Faithful! Bishop, who with other his fel- 
low Labourers, by sound Doctrin and gentle dealing, soon 
recur'd them Ithe East-Saxonsj of thir second relaps. 
Milton, Hist. Eng., iv. 
II. intrans. To recover; get well. 
Rabert Lauerawns is wcle amendyd, and I hope xall re- 
cure. Paston Letters, I. 112. 
recure 1 ! (re-kur'), H. [< ME.recMre; < recure 2 , 
partly < recure 1 , v.} Recovery. 
Recure to fynde of myn adversite. 
Lydgate, Complaint of a Lover's Life, 1. 681. 
Had she been my daughter, 
My care could not be greater than it shall be 
For her recure. Middleton, Spanish Gypsy, iii. 2. 
recure 2 t (re-kur'), v, t. [Early mod. E. also re- 
mure; < ME. recuren, recouren, var. of recoveren, 
recover : see recover 2 .'} To recover ; get again . 
Fredom of kynde BO lost hath he 
That never may recured be. 
Rom. of the Rose, 1. 4920. 
But Hector fyrst, of strength most assured, 
His stede agayne hath anone recured. 
Lydgate, Troye (1555), sig. P, v. (Halliwell.) 
For sometimes Paridell and Blandamour 
The better had, and bet the others baeke : 
Eftsoones the others did the Held recoure. 
Spenser, F. Q., IV. ix. 25. 
recurefult (re-kur'fiil), a. [< recurcl + -fill.} 
Curative; 
Let me forever hide this staine of beauty 
With this recureful maske. 
Chapman, Gentleman I'sher, v. 1. 
5015 
recurelesst (re-kur'les), (i. [< ME. rekcurlcx; 
< reciire 1 + Jess.} Incapable of recovery or 
remedy; incurable. 
Ye are to blame to sette yowre hert so sore, 
Sethyn that ye wote that hyt [ys] rekeurles. 
MS. Cantab, ft. i. fl, f. 14. (Hattiu'elt.) 
My recureless sore. G. Ferrars. 
"Us foolish to bewail recureless things. 
Greene, James the Fourth, ii. 
recurelesslyt (re-kur'les-li), adv. So as not to 
be cured. 
Recurclesly wounded with his own weapons. 
Greene, Groats-worth of Wit(Works, ed. Dyce, Int.,p. xxvi.). 
recurrence (re-kur'ens), . [= F. recurrence; 
as recurren(t) + -ce.] 1. The act of recurring, 
or the state of being recurrent; return. 
Atavism, which is the name given to the recurrence of 
ancestral traits, is proved by many and varied facts. 
a. Spencer, Prin. of Biol., 83. 
2. Eesort ; the having recourse. 
In the use of this, as of every kind of alleviation, I shall 
insensibly go on from a rare to a frequent recurrence to the 
dangerous preparations. Jer. Taylor. 
recurrency (re-kur'en-si), n. [As recurrence 
(see -cy).\ Same &s recurrence. Bailey. 
recurrent (re-kur'ent), a. and n. [< OF. recur- 
rent, F. reeur'ren t = Pg. recurrente = It. ricorreitte, 
< L. recurren(t-)s, ppr. of recurrere, run back, 
return, recur: see recur.} I. a. 1. Recurring; 
returning from time to time ; reappearing ; re- 
peated: as, recurrent pains of a disease. Prof. 
Blackie. 
The music would swell out again, like chimes borne on- 
ward by a recurrent breeze. 
George Eliot, Mill on the Floss, v. 1. 
Nature, with all her changes, is secure in certain noble 
recurrent types. Stedman, Viet. Poets, p. 150. 
2. In crystal., noting a crystal which exhibits 
an oscillatory combination of two sets of planes. 
See oscillatory. 3. In anat., turned back in its 
course, and running in a direction the opposite 
of its former one : specifically noting the infe- 
rior laryngeal branch of the pneumogastric. 
See the following phrases. 4. In entom., turn- 
ing back toward the base : as, a recurrent pro- 
cess Posterior interosseous recurrent artery, a 
branch of the posterior interosseous artery which gives off 
branches in the region of the olecranon which anastomose 
with the superior profunda, posterior ulnar recurrent, and 
radial recurrent arteries. Radial recurrent artery. 
See radial. Recurrent arteries of the deep palmar 
arch, branches which pass from the upper side of the pal- 
mar arch and anastomose with branches of the anterior 
carpal arch. Recurrent branch of the ophthalmic 
nerve, a small branch arising near the Gasserian gan- 
glion, and running backward across the fourth nerve to be 
distributed in the tentorium. Recurrent fever. See 
feverl. Recurrent fibroid tumor. Same as small spin- 
dle-cell sarcoma. See sarcoma. Recurrent laryngeal. 
See laryngeal. Recurrent mania. Same as periodical 
mania. Recurrent nerve. Same as meningeal nerve 
(which see, under nerve). Recurrent nerve Of the In- 
ferior maxillary, a branch from the inferior maxillary 
as it passes through the foramen ovale, which passes 
back into the skull through the foramen spinosum, giv- 
ing rise to two branches, one going to the great wing of 
the sphenoid, the other to the mastoid cells. Recur- 
rent nerve of the superior maxillary, a branch giv- 
en off from the superior maxillary near its origin, which 
passes to the dura mater and middle meningeal artery. 
Recurrent nervure of an insect's wing, (a) A branch 
which is more or less turned toward the base of the wing, 
in a direction contrary to the nervure from which it 
arises. Many of these recurrent nervures are distin- 
guished, (b) A vein of the wing which, after running to- 
ward the apex, is bent or curved back toward the base, as 
in many Coleoptera. Recurrent pulse. See pulsei. 
Recurrent radial artery, an artery which arises from 
the radial artery near its origin, and anastomoses with the 
anterior terminal branch of the superior profunda. Re- 
current sensibility, the sensibility manifested by the 
anterior root of a spinal nerve. This is due to fibers de- 
rived from the posterior root. Recurrent tibial ar- 
teries, (a) The posterior, arising near the perforation of 
the interosseous membrane, and anastomosing with the 
lower articular popliteal arteries, (b) The anterior, a larger 
branch, arising just behind the perforation of the inter- 
osseous membrane, and anastomosing with the lower ar- 
ticular popliteal arteries. Recurrent ulnar arte- 
ries, (a) The anterior, arising from the upper part of the 
ulnar. and joining the anastomotic branch of the brachial. 
(b) The posterior, arising a little lower than the anterior 
(though they often have a common origin), and communi- 
cating with the inferior profunda, the anastomotic, and 
posterior iuterosseous recurrent. 
II. n. Any recurrent nerve or artery, 
recurrently (re-kur'ent-li), adv. In a recurrent 
manner; with'recurrence. 
For a long time I had under observation a middle-aged 
man who, throughout his life, has recurrently been tor- 
mented by this parasite. 
B. W. Richardson, Preventive Medicine, p. 5G8. 
recurring (rf>-k<'>r'ing), l>. a. Returning again. 
Recurring continued fraction. See continued frac- 
tion, under continued. Recurring decimal. .See deci- 
mal, Recurring series, in (tig., a series in which the 
coefficients of the successive powers of x are formed from 
a certain number of the preceding coefficients accord- 
inp to some invariable law. Thus, a + bx (a + b)x- -]- 
recusance 
(o i 26>r 3 + (2o f 36>c* + (3o + 56X 1 + ... is a recurring 
series. Recurring utterances, a form of aphasia i:i 
which the patient can repeat only the word last uttered 
when taken ill. 
recursant (re-ker'sant), a. [< L. yrr/i) 1 .wn('-X 
ppr. of reeursare, run or hasten back, come 
back, return, recur, freq. of recurrere, run back, 
recur: see recur.} In her., turned in a way con- 
trary to the usual position, or with the back 
displayed instead of the front. Thus, an eagle 
recursant shows the back of the bird with 
the wings crossed Displayed recursant. See dis- 
played. 
recursion (re-ker'shon), . [< L. reeursio(n-) , 
a running back, return, < recurrere, pp. recursim, 
run back, return: see recur.] Return. [Rare.] 
When the receiver was full of air, the included pendu- 
lum continued its recursions about fifteen minutes. 
Boyle, Works, I. 61. 
recurvant (re-ker'vant), a. [< L. recurvan(t-)s, 
ppr. of recurvare, bend or curve backward, turn 
back: see recurve.} In her., of a serpent, coiled 
up, with the head projecting from the folds; 
bowed-embowed. 
recurvate (re-ker'vat), v. t. [< L. recurvatus, 
pp. of recurvare, bend backward, curve back: 
see recurve.} Same as recurve. Imp. Diet. 
recurvate (re-ker'vat), a. [< L. recurvatus, pp.: 
see recurvate, v.} In hot. and eodl., recurved. 
recurvation (re-ker-va'shon), n. [< recurvate 
+ -ion.} The act or process of recurving; the 
state of being curved up or back: opposed to 
decurvation: as, the recurvation of a bird's bill. 
Also recurvature, recurvity. 
By a serpentine and trumpet recunation, it [the wind- 
pipe] ascendeth again into the neck. 
Sir T. Browne, Vulg. Err., Hi. 27. 
recurvature (re-ker' va-tur), n. [< recurvate + 
-ure.} Same as recurvation. 
recurve (re-kerv'), v. [= OF. recorber, recurber, 
recourber, F. recourber = Pr. Pg. recurvar, < L. 
recurvare, bend or curve backward, turn up or 
back, < re-, back, + curvare, curve : see curve, 
v.} I. trans. To curve back; turn backward. 
Also recurvate. 
II. intrans. To be recurved. 
recurved (re-kervd'), p. a. 1. In lot., curved 
back or downward : as, a recurved leaf, petal, 
etc. 2. In zool., bent upward : the opposite of 
decurved: as, the recurved beak of the avoset. 
recurviroster (re-ker-vi-ros'ter), n. [< NL. re- 
curvirostrus, < L.' recurv us, bent or curved back, 
crooked (see recurvous), + rostrum, beak, bill : 
see rostrum.} A bird of the genus Becurviros- 
tra; an avoset. 
Recurvirostra (re-ker-vi-ros'tra), n. [NL., 
fern, of recunnrostrus : see recurviroster.} A 
genus of precocial limicoline grallatorial birds, 
type of the family Becurvirostridss, having a 
long and very slender depressed and recurved 
bill, extremely long slender legs, and four toes, 
the three front ones of which are webbed; the 
avosets. The body is depressed, and the under parts 
are clothed with thick plumage like a duck's, so that the 
birds swim with ease by means of their webbed feet. See 
avoset. Also called Avocetta. 
recurvirostral (re-ker-vi-ros'tral), a. [As recur- 
viroster + -al.} "Having a recurved bill, as an 
avoset ; belonging to the genus Eecurvirostra ; 
pertaining to a recurviroster. 
Recurvirostridae (re-ker-vi-ros'tri-de), n. pi. 
[NL., < Recurvirostra + -idee.} A family of 
wading birds with long and slender bill and 
legs, typified by the genus Eecurvirostra, and 
divided into the Becurvirostrinse and Himanto- 
podinse; the avosets and stilts. 
Recurvirostrinse (re-ker*vi-ros-tri'ne), n. pi. 
[NL., < Recurvirostra + -inie.} A subfamily of 
Eecurvirostridx, having the characters of the 
genus Becurvirostra, as distinguished from 
those of Himantopus, and including only the 
avosets. 
recurvity (re-ker'vi-ti), n. [< L. recurrus, bent 
back (see recurvous), + -ity.} Same as reeurra- 
tion. Bailey. 
recUTVO-patent (re-ker'v6-pat"ent), a [< L. re- 
curvus, bent back, + paten(t-)s, open, spread- 
ing: seepatenft.} In bot., bent back and spread- 
ing. 
recurvous (re-ker'vus), a. [= Pg. recurro = 
It. ricurvo, < L. recurvus, bent or curved back, < 
re-, back, + curvus, curve : see curve.} Bent 
backward. 
recusance (rek'u-zans), . [< recusan(t) + -ce.} 
Same as recusancy. 
The parliament now passed laws prohibiting Catholic 
worship, and imposing a fine of one shilling, payable each 
Sunday, for reruxnncc. 
II'. ,y. Grc'jij, Irish Hist, for Eng. Readers, p. M. 
