What does reheat mean?
Reheat primarily means to heat food again after it has cooled or been stored in a refrigerator. The word is especially common in instructions for prepared meals, leftovers, soups, and other dishes: a label may advise a consumer to reheat the food thoroughly or at a specified temperature. Reheat can also have figurative meanings. To reheat an argument is to revive or intensify a dispute that had subsided, while to reheat a campaign or discussion means to renew its activity or momentum. These figurative uses sometimes imply renewed intensity but can also suggest that a topic is being raised again unnecessarily. The verb is standard in both British and American English. The related noun, now uncommon and associated especially with British usage, denotes food that has been heated again or the act of doing so.
To heat food again after it has cooled or been refrigerated; figuratively, to revive or renew something.
"We reheated the curry because it had gone cold."
The culinary sense is dominant in everyday use. Figurative uses often involve reviving an argument, dispute, plan, or endeavour.
A dish or serving of food that has been heated again, or an instance of heating food again.
"The waiter brought us a piping-hot reheat of the lasagne."
This noun is uncommon and is associated particularly with British usage.
The plural is rare because the noun is uncommon.
"The menu included several reheats made with leftover meat."
The prefix does the scheduling: re- means “again,” while heat names the action being repeated.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reheat come from?
Reheat was formed in English by combining the prefix re-, originally a Latin prefix meaning “again” or “back,” with heat, which comes from Old English hætu in its noun sense and hætan in its verbal sense. The compound follows the productive English pattern of re- plus another word to indicate repetition. Its close relatives include heater, heating, and hearth, all associated with the older Germanic root for heat.
Related word forms
How reheat is actually used
In its culinary sense, reheat usually means heating food that has already been cooked and cooled. In figurative uses, it often suggests reviving something that had diminished or become inactive.
Easily confused with reheat
Reheat means to heat food again, whereas rehearse means to practise or prepare for a performance.