reverted


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re·vert

 (rĭ-vûrt′)
v. re·vert·ed, re·vert·ing, re·verts
v.intr.
1.
a. To go back to a former condition, practice, subject, or belief: a meadow reverting to forest; a reformed shoplifter reverting to old habits; a speaker reverting to her opening remarks.
b. To resume using something that has been disused: had to revert to the typewriter when the computer failed.
2. Law To be returned to the former owner or to the former owner's heirs. Used of money or property.
3. Genetics To undergo reversion.
4. Chiefly South Asian To reply.
v.tr.
1. To cause to go back to a former condition, practice, subject, or belief: "The doctor was reverted to the rank of Assistant Surgeon" (George Orwell).
2. Law To return (an estate, for example) to the grantor or the grantor's heirs or successor.

[Middle English reverten, from Old French revertir, from Vulgar Latin *revertīre, variant of Latin revertere : re-, re- + vertere, to turn; see wer- in Indo-European roots.]

re·vert′er n.
re·vert′i·ble adj.
re·ver′tive adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
They reverted invariably to gigantic shells and howitzers of unparalleled caliber.
In a moment the polished English gentleman reverted to the naked ape man.
Stripped not only of all the outward symbols of civilization, Tarzan had also reverted morally and mentally to the status of the savage beast he had been reared.
He was evidently satisfied with the frankness of my story, which I told in concise sentences enough, for I felt horribly weak; and when it was finished he reverted at once to the topic of Natural History and his own biological studies.
Although he had been much interested by Sergey Ivanovitch's views of the new epoch in history that would be created by the emancipation of forty millions of men of Slavonic race acting with Russia, a conception quite new to him, and although he was disturbed by uneasy wonder at being sent for by Kitty, as soon as he came out of the drawing room and was alone, his mind reverted at once to the thoughts of the morning.
But if he could use his teeth and hands to advantage, he found one even better versed in the school of savage warfare to which he had reverted, for Tarzan of the Apes closed with him, and they fell to the floor tearing and rending at one another like two bull apes; while the primitive priestess stood flattened against the wall, watching with wide, fear-fascinated eyes the growing, snapping beasts at her feet.
"For some reason the women have not reverted to savagery so rapidly as the men.
At first, his mind reverted to Defarge, and he thought of finding out the wine-shop again and taking counsel with its master in reference to the safest dwelling-place in the distracted state of the city.
At one time it had for a little while glowed more brilliantly again, but it speedily reverted to its sullen red heat.
"That's it!" cried Clare, pleased to think that she has reverted to the real pronunciation.
Gervais intervened with a joke, and the talk reverted to its former lively tone.
Tarzan, reverted to the primitive by his accident, had no conception of the fabulous value of his find.