Reclaim

v. t. [imp. & p. p. RECLAIMED; p. pr. & vb. n. RECLAIMING.] [Fr. réclamer, Pr., Sp., & Pg. reclamar, It. reclamare, richiamare, Lat. reclamare, from re, again, back, and clamare, to call or cry aloud. See CLAIM.]

1Sense 1. To call out loudly or repeatedly to; to call on; to recall. [Rare.]

The headstrong horses hurried Octavius along, and were deaf to his reclaiming them. Dryden.

2Sense 2. To call back from wild or disorderly movement or action; to reduce from a wild to a tamed state; to bring under discipline;—said especially of birds trained for the chase, but also of other animals. “An eagle well reclaimed.” Dryden.

3Sense 3. Hence, to reduce by discipline, labor, cultivation, or the like, to a desired state; to rescue from being wild, desert, waste, submerged, or the like; as, to reclaim wild land, overflowed land, &c.

Much labor is required in trees to tame Their wild disorder, and in ranks reclaim. Dryden.

4Sense 4. Especially, to call back from moral wandering or transgression to rectitude; to draw back to correct deportment or course of life; to reform.

It is the intention of Providence, in its various expressions of goodness, to reclaim mankind. Rogers.

5Sense 5. To claim back; to reassert and make good one’s claim; to demand as a right the return of; to attempt to recover possession of. “A tract of land [Holland] snatched from an element perpetually reclaiming its prior occupancy.” Coxe.

Synonyms—To reform; recover; restore; amend; correct.

v. i. 1. To cry out; to exclaim against any thing; to oppose or contradict; to raise an outcry; to take exceptions. [Obs.]

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

2Sense 2. To effect reformation; to bring any one back from evil courses.

They, hardened more by what might most reclaim, Grieving to see his glory, . . . took envy. Milton.

3Sense 3. To draw back; to give way. [Obs. and rare.]

“Ne from his currish will a whit reclaim.” Spenser.