recuperator
recuperator — noun
1. a person who is in the process of recovering their health and strength after an
a person who is in the process of recovering their health and strength after an illness, injury, or medical treatment.
After three weeks in hospital, Mr. Yan was discharged as a recuperator requiring two more weeks of rest at home.
passive: discharged as + role noun for patient status
The rehabilitation centre offered free physiotherapy sessions to every recuperator who had recently undergone hip surgery.
As a recuperator recovering from pneumonia, Nicholas was advised to walk ten minutes each morning and rest in the afternoon.
Nurses reminded the elderly recuperator that protein-rich meals and eight hours of sleep would speed his recovery from the stroke.
- convalescent
more common in medical and nursing contexts; specifically suggests a supervised recovery period
- patient
broader term that covers anyone receiving medical care, not necessarily in recovery
文法句型
recuperator + of + [body part/condition]
用法筆記
This is a rare, formal term. In everyday English, people usually say 'someone who is recovering', 'a patient recovering from …', or 'a convalescent'.
常見錯誤
2. a legal official in ancient Rome who was specially appointed to judge court case
a legal official in ancient Rome who was specially appointed to judge court cases that involved foreign citizens or residents.
The Roman recuperator listened carefully to the Greek merchant's testimony before announcing the verdict.
verb pattern: listened to + [person's] testimony before + gerund
In ancient Rome, the Senate would appoint a recuperator whenever a legal dispute involved a citizen from a foreign land.
passive: was appointed whenever + clause
Modern historians believe the recuperator played a vital role in settling trade disputes as Rome expanded across the Mediterranean.
The Roman recuperator could settle disputes between local landowners and visiting merchants within days, avoiding long court delays.
- praetor
a higher-ranking Roman magistrate with broader authority; recuperatores were a more specialised type of judge
- arbitrator
similar function of settling disputes between parties, but not a Roman historical office
文法句型
the recuperator + verb + [legal action]
用法筆記
This historical sense is almost exclusive to scholarly writing about ancient Roman law. Outside that context, readers will assume a different meaning of 'recuperator'.
3. a device that captures waste heat or thermal energy from an industrial process a
a device that captures waste heat or thermal energy from an industrial process and reuses it, typically to improve overall energy efficiency.
The factory installed a recuperator on its furnace and cut energy costs by nearly half.
collocation: installed a recuperator on + [industrial equipment]
A well-designed recuperator captures waste heat from exhaust gases and returns it to the heating system.
Plant engineers inspected the ceramic recuperator each morning, checking the seals and pipe joints for any heat leaks.
By installing a recuperator on its furnace, the chemical plant cut fuel for its boilers by nearly a quarter.
- heat exchanger
broader term that includes many types of heat-transfer devices, not only waste-heat recovery
- economiser
a specific type of heat-recovery device fitted to boiler flues
文法句型
recuperator + on / in + [device/system]
用法筆記
When used in engineering contexts, 'recuperator' is distinct from 'regenerator' — a recuperator transfers heat continuously through a solid wall, whereas a regenerator uses a storage medium that alternates between hot and cold flows.
常見錯誤
4. a mechanical system attached to a cannon or large firearm that pushes the barrel
a mechanical system attached to a cannon or large firearm that pushes the barrel back into its original position after it has moved backward from the force of firing.
After each shot, the recuperator automatically pushed the howitzer barrel back into its firing position within two seconds.
temporal structure: after each shot + main clause describing automatic action
The armourer identified a worn piston seal inside the recuperator and replaced it before the next live-fire exercise.
Without a working recuperator, the six-man crew had to push the heavy barrel forward by hand after every round.
The gun crew were trained to inspect the recuperator each morning before firing the first test round of the day.
- counter-recoil mechanism
a broader term that describes the entire system managing recoil, not just the part that returns the barrel
- recoil system
covers both the brake (absorbs recoil) and the recuperator (returns the barrel)
文法句型
recuperator + verb + barrel / gun
用法筆記
This sense is primarily found in military engineering manuals and historical accounts of artillery. Most general-reader dictionaries omit it.