renovize

English

Alternative forms

• renovise

Etymology

re- +‎ novel +‎ -ize, Coined in connection with various community campaigns in the early 1930s that attempted to stimulate the building trades.

Verb

renovize (third-person singular simple present renovizes, present participle renovizing, simple past and past participle renovized)

1. (dated) To renovate or modernize.
   • 1933, Ladies' Home Journal - Volume 50, page 153:

     To renovize is to be smart, and thrifty, especially at this time. Labor costs and material costs are low.

   • 1934, Arthur B. Heaton, “Renovize Now and Help in the General Recovery”, in The Octagon, volume 6:

     How can we do our part in assisting in the general recovery of the Country? Renovize, and in so doing we make a good investment for ourselves; put men back to work and get money back into circulation, which in the end will come back to us through other channels.

   • 1937, American Building Association News - Volume 57, page 374:

     We stand an excellent chance, if we renovize and modernize it — not only to sell it, but to sell it at a price which will show a profit upon the expenditure for the renovization and modernization work.

   • 1958, United States. Congress. House. Committee on Government Operations, Morningside Hospital: Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Government Operations:

     Now—I'll read it all— The renovation of the patients' dining room— and this is 1954—that was 1948—did they renovize the patients' dining room for 6 years?