Meaning & use
reclosed
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“reclosed” is a form of “reclose”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
Past tense and past participle of reclose: shut again after having been opened.
Grammar: Works with an object (she reclosed the box) or passively (the door was reclosed).
Patterns
- reclosed something
- was reclosed
She reclosed the lunch box and slipped it into her bag.
The wound was reclosed after the infection cleared.
Once the visitors left, the gate reclosed behind them.
adjectivenot comparable
Shut again after an earlier opening.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: the reclosed trench was safe.
Patterns
- a reclosed something
The reclosed incision healed well.
A reclosed envelope looked suspicious to the clerk.
The reclosed road reopened days later.
Common combinations
- reclosed the door
- He reclosed the door softly so as not to wake the baby.
- reclosed the wound
- The nurse reclosed the wound with a new dressing.
- quickly reclosed
- The valve quickly reclosed after the burst of steam.
- neatly reclosed
- The package was neatly reclosed, as if no one had opened it.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shut again
- This is simpler and more common in daily talk than reclosed.
- resealed
- This implies sealing with an adhesive or fitted seal, which reclosed does not require.
- refastened
- This points to clasps, buttons or latches, while reclosed is more general.
Opposites
Word family
- reclose verb
- to close again
- closed adjective
- not open
- closure noun
- the act of closing
- reclosable adjective
- able to be shut again
Commonly confused: reclosed or enclosed?
reclosed vs enclosed
Enclosed means surrounded or included; reclosed means shut a second time.
Practice
The nurse ___ the wound after removing the old bandage.
Choose one answer.
Reclosed means shut again, which fits a wound after treatment; reopened would be the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “reclosed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.