Precovery
noun, slang
noun, slang ·Uncommon ·College level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The use of previously gathered data (especially photographic images) to recover a recently discovered object (typically a small solar system body).
"If you look for your new object after discovery, it's called "recovery". [...] if you find your new object in some old data that someone took before you discovered your object, it's called a "precovery"."
- 2 The act of resting before a long night, weekend or season of binge drinking. slang
Example
More examples"If you look for your new object after discovery, it's called "recovery". [...] if you find your new object in some old data that someone took before you discovered your object, it's called a "precovery"."
Etymology
Blend of pre- + recovery.
More for "precovery"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.