Is "re-enqueue" or "reenqueue" a proper word?
This came up while reviewing a technical document:
- The algorithm could re-enqueue the id associated with the job ...
This has generated some discussion as the word does not appear in the dictionary and we aren't sure if it is proper or not. Is this a proper word for use in a technical document or is there a better word use?
Whether a word appears in a dictionary doesn’t really matter with productive affixes like these.
However, I should think you would just want to use requeue there. I know I would.
Plus I would just hate to type re_enqueue(). :)
The algorithm could re-enqueue the id associated with the job ...
Is re-enqueue a proper word?
Yes, re-enqueue is the proper "word" if enqueue had already been defined in the document with a specific meaning of an activity/task. Say, the glossary lists enqueue .
"The algorithm will enqueue the id associated with the job ...
However, the algorithm could re-enqueue the id associated with the job ..."
Do not forget the hyphen ever, in this particular kind of usage, though. It is possible to use the re- un- non- de- / dis- prefixes to any known word or neologism, except where the required meaning already has a word.