Plain English Meaning
What a pilot does the moment they accidentally fly into cloud or poor visibility while flying visually: stop looking outside, fly the instruments, get the aircraft level and under control, and take steps to get back to clear air or to ATC help.
Full Definition
The set of immediate actions a pilot takes after unintentionally entering instrument meteorological conditions (cloud, fog, or low visibility) while flying under visual flight rules. The recovery transitions the pilot from outside visual references to controlling the aircraft solely by reference to instruments, then establishes a safe such as climbing to a , turning toward known clear air, declaring the , and obtaining ATC assistance.