Iteration
The repetition of a process in order to generate a sequence of outcomes — the outcome of each iteration is then the starting point of the next iteration.
Origin
The English word derives from Latin iterare ("to do again"), first attested in 1477 in the writing of Thomas Norton, an English alchemist. In mathematics, iterative methods have ancient roots — Archimedes used successive approximation, and 15th-century Persian mathematician Jamshīd al-Kāshī applied iterative techniques to compute pi. The concept became central to computing with the advent of ENIAC in the 1940s and loop constructs in programming languages like FORTRAN in the 1950s.
Everyday Use
Every draft of an essay, every prototype of a product, and every rehearsal of a performance is an iteration — a pass through the process where you learn from the last attempt and feed that into the next one. Software teams build in two-week "sprints," potters throw multiple bowls, and chefs test recipes over and over. The goal isn't to get it right the first time but to get it better each time.