The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is…

rectify (verb):

1: to set right : remedy
2: to purify especially by repeated or fractional distillation – eg rectified alcohol
3: to correct by removing errors : adjust
4: to make (an alternating current) unidirectional

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : When you rectify something, you correct an error or make things right, which is fitting because rectify and correct both ultimately trace back to the Latin word regere, which can mean “to lead straight,” “to direct,” or “to rule.” Rectify has had its “to set right” meaning since the early 16th century, but the word has over the years accrued various other meanings as well, including the specialized uses “to purify especially by repeated or fractional distillation” (as in “rectified alcohol”), “to make (an alternating current) unidirectional,” and several medical applications having to do with healing of one kind or another. Regere plays a part in the histories of a number of familiar English words, in addition to those mentioned above; the many relatives of rectify include direct, resurrection, and regimen.

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