reverse-engineer: Meaning and Definition of

re•verse-en•gi•neer

Pronunciation: (ri-vûrs'en-ju-nēr'), [key]
— v.t.
  1. to study or analyze (a device, as a microchip for computers) in order to learn details of design, construction, and operation, perhaps to produce a copy or an improved version.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.