refresh

Etymology

From Middle English refreshen, refreschen, refrisschen, from Old French refrescher ("to refresh"; > Modern French rafraîchir), equivalent to re- +‎ fresh.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɹiˈfɹɛʃ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛʃ

Verb

refresh (third-person singular simple present refreshes, present participle refreshing, simple past and past participle refreshed)

1. To renew or revitalize.

   Sleep refreshes the body and the mind.

2. (computing) To reload a document and show any new changes, especially a webpage on the internet.
   • 2007, Beth Harbison, Shoe Addicts Anonymous

     She refreshed the page. She was still the high bidder. Good.

3. (computing) To cause (a web browser or similar software) to refresh its display.
   • 2007, Philip C Plumlee, Test Driven Ajax (on Rails)

     You can save your code, refresh your browser, and see a change instantly. This simple trick turns a lowly web browser into a development environment […]

4. To perform the periodic energizing required to maintain the contents of computer memory, the display luminance of a computer screen, etc.

Noun

refresh (plural refreshes)

1. The periodic energizing required to maintain the contents of computer memory, the display luminance of a computer screen, etc.
2. (computing) The update of a display (in a web browser or similar software) to show the latest version of the data.
3. The process of modernizing something.
   • 2013, Mark Phythian, Understanding the Intelligence Cycle (page 43)

     Experiences such as the Al Qaeda threat have provided a taste of how the landscape may have changed very fundamentally. Do these changes spell the end of the Cycle as a useful concept, or does it just need a refresh?

Anagrams

• fresher