paraphrase

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun A restatement of a text or passage in another form or other words, often to clarify meaning.
• noun The restatement of texts in other words as a studying or teaching device.
• noun The adaptation or alteration of a text or quotation to serve a different purpose from that of the original.
• intransitive verb To restate using different words, especially to clarify.
• intransitive verb To adapt or alter (a text or quotation) to serve a different purpose from that of the original.
• intransitive verb To compose a paraphrase.

from The Century Dictionary.

• To restate or translate with latitude; interpret; construe; unfold and express the sense of (an author) with greater clearness and particularity by substituting other words for his own.
• To interpret or amplify by change of words; make a paraphrase.
• noun A restatement of a text or passage, giving the sense of the original in other words, generally in fuller terms and with greater detail, for the sake of clearer and more complete exposition: opposed to metaphrase. When the original is in a foreign language, translation and paraphrase may be combined.
• noun Specifically, in Scotland, one of sixty-seven versified renderings of as many selected passages of Scripture, usually bound up with the metrical psalms, and like them sung in church, etc.
• noun In instrumental music, a transcription; a variation. Also paraphrasis.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• intransitive verb To make a paraphrase.
• noun A restatement of a text, passage, or work, expressing the meaning of the original in another form, generally for the sake of its clearer and fuller exposition; a setting forth the signification of a text in other and ampler terms; a free translation or rendering; -- opposed to metaphrase.
• transitive verb To express, interpret, or translate with latitude; to give the meaning of a passage in other language.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun A restatement of a text in different words, often to clarify meaning.
• verb To restate something as, or to compose a paraphrase.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• verb express the same message in different words
• noun rewording for the purpose of clarification