Does the word "reuse" have the same meaning as "recycle?"

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

The words are similar, but they do not mean exactly the same thing. To "reuse" means to use the object that is being talked about again as it is. To "recycle" means that the object will be broken down or processed and the material gained from the "recycling" will be used to create a new object. Ex: When I buy food in jars, I like to reuse the jars later to keep things like flour or rice dry. Ex: Did you know that plastic bottles can be recycled and made into shoes?

How do native speakers use this expression?

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Popular Q&As

12/27

1
Why is "ing" put after "to" here?
This sentence is in present progressive tense and so the verb is put in -ing form to indicate that the action is going to continue on. The progressive tense is not generally used after the preposition "to" in a sentence except after the phrase "close to". Ex: I was so close to falling asleep when the dog started barking. Ex: You are so close to winning the race - keep going!

2
What is "sec"?
"Sec" is short for "second". Ex: Wait a sec, I have to do something.

3
Is "when" necessary here?
While technically "when" is not necessary here, the speaker has used it to signify a hypothetical situation or subjunctive mood will follow. Thus, it is better to use it in this situation as it is a good clue for understanding and predicting the rest of the sentence. Ex: What if when you go to work, you get into an argument with a coworker. How should you react? Ex: When you check your email, you should answer emails in order of priority.

4
What is ‘em?
'em is shorten form of "them".

5
What's "water" mean in here
The theme of "water" at the beginning of the song is a metaphor. The "river" mentioned in the beginning is the life she has been living, and here, "waters" refers to this metaphorical river. She's saying that there's still hope within her life- within this "river" of her life. "Waters" can often be used in a similar metaphorical way when referring to a situation in life or the way things are. Ex: These waters are deep, be careful what information you look for. => The situation is complicated Ex: There's no hope in these waters. = There's no hope in this situation.

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