What it means
To reappear and start again after dying in a game, popping back in fresh for another go. Outside games it has become a cheerful way to talk about recharging: a coffee respawn, respawning after a nap, coming back to life after a rough morning.
Usage examples
"Give me five minutes and a coffee to respawn, then I am ready."
"He died at the start and had to wait ages to respawn."
"I was fully dead before lunch, had a snack and a sit-down, now I've respawned."
"Give me ten and a shower and I'll respawn into a functioning human."
Where it comes from
It comes straight from video game jargon. Respawn is built from re plus spawn, with spawn meaning to generate or place a character or object into the game world. Players used it for coming back after dying, then it hopped out of games into everyday chat for any quick reset or energy comeback.
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