# rediscover fire

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/rediscover-fire
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To relearn fundamental concepts, principles or practices that had been previously well known and widely practiced at a prior time in human society.

## Examples

- They are trying to rediscover fire with these old farming methods.
- The team ignored years of research and had to rediscover fire to solve the basic problem.
- By discarding the established safety protocols, the engineers were forced to rediscover fire, learning through painful trial and error what their predecessors had mastered decades ago.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.