recovery

Everyday

1. Recovery is getting better after being ill, hurt or upset. tree →
2. Recovery is getting back something that was lost or stolen. tree →
3. A recovery is when something, like a business or a team, gets back to a good state after a bad time. tree →
4. (formal) Recovery can mean getting useful material back from waste, as in recycling. tree →

In the lessons

In health, a patient makes «a full recovery». In sport, a team makes a recovery from 2–0 down. In science and the environment, «resource recovery» is getting materials back from rubbish. Breakdown trucks are «recovery vehicles». Phrases: make a recovery, full recovery, speedy recovery, on the road to recovery, recovery position.

Examples

• Grandad made a full recovery after his operation. tree →
• We wish you a speedy recovery! tree →
• The team made a great recovery to win 3–2. tree →
• The police announced the recovery of the stolen paintings. tree →
• In first aid, we learned the recovery position. tree →
• A recovery truck towed our broken car away. tree →
• The town's recovery after the flood took months. tree →
• "Your royal highness must be on the high road to recovery from your illness," said he. tree →

Note

Mostly uncountable; plural «recoveries». The verb is «recover». The «recovery position» is a first-aid way to lay an unconscious person on their side so they can breathe — an important safety fact.