retrofit

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English

WOTD – 2 February 2023

Etymology

The verb is derived from retro- (prefix meaning ‘back; backward’) +‎ fit (“to equip, supply”).

The noun, which is first attested later than the verb, is either derived:

  • from the verb (see above); or
  • from retro- +‎ fit (“act of fitting; conformity of elements one to another”).

Pronunciation

Verb

retrofit (third-person singular simple present retrofits, present participle retrofitting, simple past and past participle retrofitted) (originally US)

  1. (transitive)
    1. To supply (a device, structure, etc.) with new components or parts that were not previously available or installed; to modernize.
      Synonym: backfit
      • 2020 January 2, Richard Clinnick, “Midlands Metro Welcomes New Catenary-free Trams”, in Rail, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire: Bauer Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 16:
        Trams dating from 2012 have been retro-fitted with lithium batteries, with the conversions starting in 2018.
      • 2025 March 9, Nic F. Anderson, “Tired of subway delays? The MTA wants to fix that by strapping Google smartphones to New York trains”, in CNN‎:
        The project involves retrofitting Google’s Pixel smartphones to certain subway cars to collect sounds and other data and feed it into Google’s Cloud. When asked why the devices were retrofitted on older models instead of newer ones, Sarno said the MTA typically uses older car models when making modifications in case there are any unwanted effects.
    2. To add or substitute (new components or parts) that were not previously available for or installed in a device, structure, etc.
      Synonym: backfit
    3. (computing) Synonym of backport (“to retroactively supply a fix or feature to a previous version of a software product at the same time or after supplying it to the current version.”).
      The bug was so bad that we had to retrofit our patch to the last three releases, as well as the newest release.
    4. (figuratively) To give new characteristics or make alterations (to someone or something) to suit them to changed circumstances.
  2. (intransitive) To supply a device, structure, etc., with new components or parts that were not previously available or installed.

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

retrofit (plural retrofits) (originally US)

  1. An act of supplying a device, structure, etc., with new components or parts that were not previously available or installed; a retrofitting.
  2. A change made to a device, structure, etc., by introducing components or parts that were not previously available or installed.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

References

  1. ^ Compare “retrofit, v.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, March 2022; “retrofit, v.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
  2. ^ “retrofit, n.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, March 2022; “retrofit, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

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