re·hearse
(rĭ-hûrs′)v. re·hearsed, re·hears·ing, re·hears·es
v.tr.1. a. To practice (a part in a play or a piece of music, for example) in preparation for a public performance. See Synonyms at
practice.
b. To practice (an action) by repetition so as to improve performance: rehearse military maneuvers.
c. To direct in a rehearsal: rehearsed the orchestra.
2. a. To repeat or recite: "a florid and flippant attack that rehearsed some of the time-worn creationist canards" (Frederick C. Crews).
b. To list or enumerate: rehearsed her complaints in a letter.
v.intr. To practice something, such as a speech, before presenting it publicly.
[Middle English rehercen, to repeat, from Old French rehercier : re-, re- + hercier, to harrow (from herce, harrow; see hearse).]
re·hears′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.