verb (used with or without object), re·wound or (Rare) re·wind·ed; re·wind·ing. to wind again. to wind back to or toward the beginning; reverse. noun. an act or instance of rewinding.

What does the word rewind means?

transitive verb. : to wind again especially : to reverse the winding of rewind film. rewind. noun. re·​wind | \ ˈrē-ˌwīnd , (ˌ)rē-ˈwīnd \

Why is it called rewinding?

rewind (v.) also re-wind, "wind again, wind back," 1717, from re- "back, again" + wind (v. 1). The noun meaning "mechanism for rewinding film or tape" is recorded from 1938; the sense of "act or process of winding backwards" is by 1964.