Both Uses of
redeem
in
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
- I lingered but a moment at the mirror: the second and conclusive experiment had yet to be attempted; it yet remained to be seen if I had lost my identity beyond redemption and must flee before daylight from a house that was no longer mine; and hurrying back to my cabinet, I once more prepared and drank the cup, once more suffered the pangs of dissolution, and came to myself once more with the character, the stature, and the face of Henry Jekyll.†
p. 88.8
- I resolved in my future conduct to redeem the past; and I can say with honesty that my resolve was fruitful of some good.†
p. 100.0 *
Definitions:
-
(1)
(redeem as in: its main redeeming quality is...) to make up for something bad; or to save
-
(2)
(redeem as in: redeem the coupon) exchange, convert, or pay offThe exact meaning of redeem can depend upon its context. For example:
- "to redeem a coupon" -- exchange something for something else of value
- "to redeem stock" -- sell or convert to cash
- "to redeem a mortgage" -- pay off a loan
-
(3)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
In Christianity, redemption is used to reference Jesus' sacrifice to make up for human sin.
Old usage (as might be found in the Bible or in Shakespeare) also uses redeeming time to refer to making the best use of time.