rehab
UK[ˈriː.hæb]US[ˈriː.hæb]
n
A course of treatment for someone who wants to stop using drugs or alcohol, or a place where this treatment happens.
n
The process of helping someone to return to good health or a normal life after they have been ill, in prison, etc.
v
To rehabilitate someone or something.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
hab
re
again
hab
have, hold
Etymology
The word "rehab" is a modern clipping of the longer term "rehabilitation." Its core components trace back to Latin: the prefix re- ("again") combined with the verb habilitāre, meaning "to make fit," which itself derives from habēre ("to have, to hold"). The literal sense of "restoring to a former capacity" evolved from the idea of giving someone back their ability or fitness. In contemporary English, this process of "making fit again" has specialized, primarily referring to recovery from addiction or injury, while also retaining its broader application in contexts like social and criminal rehabilitation.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + hab (have, hold)
- re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "again, back."
- hab: From the Latin root habēre, meaning "to have, to hold, to keep."
Examples
After his knee surgery, he spent six weeks in a rehab facility.
The famous actor checked into rehab to deal with his substance abuse issues.
The city plans to rehab the old warehouse and turn it into affordable housing.