reprogram

verbB2+Occasional — familiar, but not everyday · #9,354 of 15,258leans spoken

Other forms: reprogramming, reprogrammed, reprograms

To reprogram is to give a machine new instructions. Reprogram the thermostat, reprogrammed the robot, reprogram the key.

It changes behaviour without changing hardware, which is what makes software-driven machines so flexible and why a car recall can sometimes be fixed with an update. Figuratively, reprogramming somebody's habits borrows the metaphor. Note the spellings reprogrammed and reprogramed, the second American.

Definitions of reprogram

1verbreprogramTo give a machine new instructions.B2+
“The engineer reprogrammed the robot so that it could sort parcels by size.”

reprogram is a re-instructing.

Where it comes from

Proto-Indo-European
*per-
Ancient Greek
πρόγραμμα — a written public notice, an edict
Latin
programma — a proclamation, edict
French
programme
English
program
English, today
reprogram

Built from

προγράφω · Ancient Greek — to set forth as a public notice
πρό · Ancient Greek — before
γράφω · Ancient Greek — to write

From re- + program. program French programme, from Latin programma (“a proclamation, edict”), from Ancient Greek πρόγραμμα (“a written public notice, an edict”), from προγράφω (“to set forth as a public notice”), from πρό (“before”) + γράφω (“to write”). a doublet of programma.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

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