renature
|re-na-ture|
🇺🇸
/ˌriːˈneɪtʃər/
🇬🇧
/ˌriːˈneɪtʃə/
restore to natural/original state
Etymology
'renature' originates from English, formed by the prefix 're-' + the noun 'nature' (Old French 'nature', from Latin 'natura'), where Latin 'natura' ultimately comes from 'nasci' meaning 'to be born'.
'nature' passed into English via Old French 'nature' from Latin 'natura' (from 'nasci'); the verb 'renature' is a modern English formation created by prefixing 're-' to 'nature', gaining use in ecological and later scientific contexts (mainly 20th century onward).
The root 'natura' originally meant 'birth' or 'innate quality'; 'renature' was coined to mean 'make natural again' or 'restore to a natural state' and has retained that ecological sense while also developing a specialized technical sense in biology (restore native conformation).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
to restore land, waterways, or habitats to a natural condition; to reverse human alterations and return something to a more natural state (often used in ecology and environmental management).
They plan to renature the river by removing concrete banks and replanting native vegetation.
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Verb 2
in biochemistry or molecular biology, to return a denatured protein or nucleic acid to its native folded or annealed structure (i.e., to regain its original conformation and often its biological activity).
After purification, researchers may renature proteins to restore their biological activity.
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Last updated: 2025/12/13 22:29