Adjacent Words

Discharge definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

DISCHARGE, v.t.
1. To unload, as a ship; to take out, as a cargo; applied both to the ship and the loading. We say, to discharge a ship; but more generally, to discharge a cargo or the lading of the ship.
2. To free from any load or burden; to throw off or exonerate; as, discharge of business.
3. To throw off a load or charge; to let fly; to shoot; applied to fire-arms; as, to dis-charge a pistol or a cannon; or to discharge a ball or grape-shot.
4. To pay; as, to discharge a debt, a bond, a note.
5. To send away, as a creditor by payment of what is due to him. He discharge his creditors.
6. To free from claim or demand; to give an acquittance to, or a receipt in full, as to a debtor. The creditor discharged his debtor.
7. To free from an obligation; as, to discharge a man from further duty or service; to discharge a surety.
8. To clear from an accusation or crime; to acquit; to absolve; to set free; with of; as, to discharge a man of all blame.
9. To throw off or out; to let fly; to give vent to; as, to discharge a horrible oath; to discharge fury or vengeance.
10. To perform or execute, as a duty or office considered as a charge. One man discharges the office of a sheriff; another that of a priest. We are all bound to discharge the duties of piety, of benevolence and charity.
11. To divest of an office or employment; to dismiss from service; as, to discharge a steward or a servant; to discharge a soldier or seaman; to discharge a jury.
12. To dismiss; to release; to send away from any business or appointment.
Discharge your powers to their several counties.
13. To emit or send out; as, an ulcer discharges pus; a pipe discharges water.
14. To release; to liberate from confinement; as, to discharge a prisoner.
15. To put away; to remove; to clear from; to destroy. In general, to throw off any load or incumbrance; to free or clear.
DISCHARGE, v.i. To break up.
The cloud, if it were oily or fatty, would not discharge.
DISCHARGE, n.
1. An unloading, as of a ship; as the discharge of a cargo.
2. A throwing out; vent; emission; applied to a fluid, a flowing or issuing out, or a throwing out; as the discharge of water from a spring, or from a spout; applied to fire-arms, an explosion; as a discharge of cannon.
3. That which is thrown out; matter emitted; as a thin serous discharge; a purulent discharge.
4. Dismission from office or service; or the writing which evidences the dismission. The general, the soldier, obtains a discharge.
5. Release from obligation, debt or penalty; or the writing which is evidence of it; an acquittance; as, the debtor has a discharge.
6. Absolution from a crime or accusation; acquittance.
7. Ransom; liberation; price paid for deliverance.
8. Performance; execution; applied to an office, trust or duty. A good man is faithful in the discharge of his duties, public and private.
9. Liberation; release from imprisonment or other confinement.
10. Exemption; escape.
There is no discharge in that war. Ecclesiastes 8.
11. Payment, as of a debt.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the sudden giving off of energy
2: the act of venting [syn: discharge, venting]
3: a substance that is emitted or released [syn: discharge, emission]
4: any of several bodily processes by which substances go out of the body; "the discharge of pus" [syn: discharge, emission, expelling]
5: electrical conduction through a gas in an applied electric field [syn: discharge, spark, arc, electric arc, electric discharge]
6: the pouring forth of a fluid [syn: discharge, outpouring, run]
7: the termination of someone's employment (leaving them free to depart) [syn: dismissal, dismission, discharge, firing, liberation, release, sack, sacking]
8: a formal written statement of relinquishment [syn: release, waiver, discharge]
9: the act of discharging a gun [syn: discharge, firing, firing off] v
1: complete or carry out; "discharge one's duties" [syn: dispatch, discharge, complete]
2: pour forth or release; "discharge liquids"
3: free from obligations or duties [syn: free, discharge]
4: remove the charge from [ant: charge]
5: go off or discharge; "The gun fired" [syn: fire, discharge, go off]
6: pronounce not guilty of criminal charges; "The suspect was cleared of the murder charges" [syn: acquit, assoil, clear, discharge, exonerate, exculpate] [ant: convict]
7: eliminate (a substance); "combustion products are exhausted in the engine"; "the plant releases a gas" [syn: exhaust, discharge, expel, eject, release]
8: leave or unload; "unload the cargo"; "drop off the passengers at the hotel" [syn: drop, drop off, set down, put down, unload, discharge]
9: cause to go off; "fire a gun"; "fire a bullet" [syn: fire, discharge]
10: release from military service [syn: discharge, muster out] [ant: draft, enlist, muster in]
11: become empty or void of its content; "The room emptied" [syn: empty, discharge] [ant: fill, fill up]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French descharger, from Late Latin discarricare, from Latin dis- + Late Latin carricare to load — more at charge Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. to relieve of a charge, load, or burden: a. unload <discharge a cargo ship> b. to release from an obligation c. to release electrical energy from (as a battery or capacitor) by a discharge 2. a. to let or put off <discharge passengers> <discharge cargo> b. shoot <discharge an arrow> c. to release from confinement, custody, or care <discharge a prisoner> <discharge a patient> d. to give outlet or vent to ; emit <discharge emotions> 3. a. (1) to dismiss from employment (2) to release from service or duty <discharge a soldier> b. to get rid of (as a debt or obligation) by performing an appropriate action (as payment) c. to set aside ; annul d. to order (a legislative committee) to end consideration of a bill in order to bring it before the house for action 4. to bear and distribute (as the weight of a wall above an opening) 5. to bleach out or remove (color or dye) in dyeing and printing textiles 6. to cancel the record of the loan of (a library book) upon return intransitive verb 1. a. to throw off or deliver a load, charge, or burden b. to release electrical energy by a discharge 2. a. go off, fire — used of a gun b. spread, run <some dyes discharge> c. to pour forth fluid or other contents Synonyms: see perform • dischargeable adjective • dischargee noun • discharger noun II. noun Date: 14th century 1. a. the act of relieving of something that oppresses ; release b. something that discharges or releases; especially a certification of release or payment 2. the state of being discharged or relieved 3. the act of discharging or unloading 4. legal release from confinement 5. a firing off 6. a. a flowing or issuing out <a discharge of spores>; also a rate of flow b. something that is emitted <a purulent discharge> 7. the act of removing an obligation or liability 8. a. release or dismissal especially from an office or employment b. complete separation from military service 9. a. the equalization of a difference of electric potential between two points b. the conversion of the chemical energy of a battery into electrical energy

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v. 1 tr. a let go, release, esp. from a duty, commitment, or period of confinement. b relieve (a bankrupt) of residual liability. 2 tr. dismiss from office, employment, army commission, etc. 3 tr. a fire (a gun etc.). b (of a gun etc.) fire (a bullet etc.). 4 a tr. (also absol.) pour out or cause to pour out (pus, liquid, etc.) (the wound was discharging). b tr. throw; eject (discharged a stone at the cat). c tr. utter (abuse etc.). d intr. (foll. by into) (of a river etc.) flow into (esp. the sea). 5 tr. a carry out, perform (a duty or obligation). b relieve oneself of (a financial commitment) (discharged his debt). 6 tr. Law cancel (an order of court). 7 tr. Physics release an electrical charge from. 8 tr. a relieve (a ship etc.) of its cargo. b unload (a cargo) from a ship. --n. 1 the act or an instance of discharging; the process of being discharged. 2 a dismissal, esp. from the armed services. 3 a a release, exemption, acquittal, etc. b a written certificate of release etc. 4 an act of firing a gun etc. 5 a an emission (of pus, liquid, etc.). b the liquid or matter so discharged. 6 (usu. foll. by of) a the payment (of a debt). b the performance (of a duty etc.). 7 Physics a the release of a quantity of electric charge from an object. b a flow of electricity through the air or other gas esp. when accompanied by the emission of light. c the conversion of chemical energy in a cell into electrical energy. 8 the unloading (of a ship or a cargo). Derivatives: dischargeable adj. discharger n. (in sense 7 of v.). Etymology: ME f. OF descharger (as DIS-, CHARGE)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Discharge Dis*charge", n. (Elec.) The equalization of a difference of electric potential between two points. The character of the discharge is mostly determined by the nature of the medium through which it takes place, the amount of the difference of potential, and the form of the terminal conductors on which the difference exists. The discharge may be alternating, continuous, brush, connective, disruptive, glow, oscillatory, stratified, etc.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Discharge Dis*charge", v. t. (Textile Dyeing & Printing) To bleach out or to remove or efface, as by a chemical process; as, to discharge the color from a dyed fabric in order to form light figures on a dark ground.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Discharge Dis*charge", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Discharged; p. pr. & vb. n. Discharging.] [OE. deschargen, dischargen, OF. deschargier, F. d['e]charger; pref. des- (L. dis) + chargier, F. charger. See Charge.] 1. To relieve of a charge, load, or burden; to empty of a load or cargo; to unburden; to unload; as, to discharge a vessel. 2. To free of the missile with which anything is charged or loaded; to let go the charge of; as, to discharge a bow, catapult, etc.; especially, said of firearms, -- to fire off; to shoot off; also, to relieve from a state of tension, as a Leyden jar. The galleys also did oftentimes, out of their prows, discharge their great pieces against the city. --Knolles. Feeling in other cases discharges itself in indirect muscular actions. --H. Spencer. 3. To of something weighing upon or impeding over one, as a debt, claim, obligation, responsibility, accusation, etc.; to absolve; to acquit; to clear. Discharged of business, void of strife. --Dryden. In one man's fault discharge another man of his duty. --L'Estrange. 4. To relieve of an office or employment; to send away from service; to dismiss. Discharge the common sort With pay and thanks. --Shak. Grindal . . . was discharged the government of his see. --Milton. 5. To release legally from confinement; to set at liberty; as, to discharge a prisoner. 6. To put forth, or remove, as a charge or burden; to take out, as that with which anything is loaded or filled; as, to discharge a cargo. 7. To let fly, as a missile; to shoot. They do discharge their shot of courtesy. --Shak. 8. To set aside; to annul; to dismiss. We say such an order was ``discharged on appeal.'' --Mozley & W. The order for Daly's attendance was discharged. --Macaulay. 9. To throw off the obligation of, as a duty or debt; to relieve one's self of, by fulfilling conditions, performing duty, trust, and the like; hence, to perform or execute, as an office, or part. Had I a hundred tongues, a wit so large As could their hundred offices discharge. --Dryden. 10. To send away (a creditor) satisfied by payment; to pay one's debt or obligation to. [Obs.] If he had The present money to discharge the Jew. --Shak. 11. To give forth; to emit or send out; as, a pipe discharges water; to let fly; to give expression to; to utter; as, to discharge a horrible oath. 12. To prohibit; to forbid. [Scot. Obs.] --Sir W. Scott. Discharging arch (Arch.), an arch over a door, window, or other opening, to distribute the pressure of the wall above. See Illust. of Lintel. Discharging piece, Discharging strut (Arch.), a piece set to carry thrust or weight to a solid point of support. Discharging rod (Elec.), a bent wire, with knobs at both ends, and insulated by a glass handle. It is employed for discharging a Leyden jar or an electrical battery. See Discharger. Syn: See Deliver.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Discharge Dis*charge", v. i. To throw off or deliver a load, charge, or burden; to unload; to emit or give vent to fluid or other contents; as, the water pipe discharges freely. The cloud, if it were oily or fatty, would not discharge. --Bacon.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Discharge Dis*charge", n. [Cf. F. d['e]charge. See Discharge, v. t.] 1. The act of discharging; the act of relieving of a charge or load; removal of a load or burden; unloading; as, the discharge of a ship; discharge of a cargo. 2. Firing off; explosive removal of a charge; explosion; letting off; as, a discharge of arrows, of artillery. 3. Act of relieving of something which oppresses or weighs upon one, as an obligation, liability, debt, accusation, etc.; acquittance; as, the discharge of a debtor. 4. Act of removing, or getting rid of, an obligation, liability, etc.; fulfillment, as by the payment of a debt, or the performance of a trust or duty. Indefatigable in the discharge of business. --Motley. Nothing can absolve us from the discharge of those duties. --L'Estrange. 5. Release or dismissal from an office, employment, etc.; dismission; as, the discharge of a workman by his employer. 6. Legal release from confinement; liberation; as, the discharge of a prisoner. 7. The state of being discharged or relieved of a debt, obligation, office, and the like; acquittal. Too secure of our discharge From penalty. --Milton. 8. That which discharges or releases from an obligation, liability, penalty, etc., as a price of ransom, a legal document. Death, who sets all free, Hath paid his ransom now and full discharge. --Milton. 9. A flowing or issuing out; emission; vent; evacuation; also, that which is discharged or emitted; as, a rapid discharge of water from the pipe. The hemorrhage being stopped, the next occurrence is a thin serous discharge. --S. Sharp.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(discharged) 1. When someone is discharged from hospital, prison, or one of the armed services, they are officially allowed to leave, or told that they must leave. He has a broken nose but may be discharged today... Five days later Henry discharged himself from hospital. VERB: be V-ed, V pron-refl, also V n • Discharge is also a noun. He was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay compensation. N-VAR 2. If someone discharges their duties or responsibilities, they do everything that needs to be done in order to complete them. (FORMAL) ...the quiet competence with which he discharged his many college duties. VERB: V n 3. If someone discharges a debt, they pay it. (FORMAL) The goods will be sold for a fraction of their value in order to discharge the debt. VERB: V n 4. If something is discharged from inside a place, it comes out. (FORMAL) The resulting salty water will be discharged at sea... The bird had trouble breathing and was discharging blood from the nostrils. VERB: be V-ed prep, V n prep 5. When there is a discharge of a substance, the substance comes out from inside somewhere. (FORMAL) They develop a fever and a watery discharge from their eyes... N-VAR: usu with supp

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Unload, disburden, unburden, relieve of a load. 2. Emit, expel, excrete, eject, void, throw off, send out, give forth. 3. Set off, fire off, let fly, give vent to, shoot, fire. 4. Pay, liquidate, cash. 5. Release, absolve, exonerate, acquit, clear, relieve, liberate, free, set free. 6. Dismiss, discard, cashier, break, turn away, send away. 7. Remove, destroy, put away, clear from. 8. Perform, execute, fulfil, observe, acquit one's self of. 9. Remove, take out (as the cargo of a vessel). 10. (Law.) Cancel, rescind, annul, nullify, invalidate, make void. II. n. 1. Unloading, disburdening. 2. Emission, ejection, expulsion, excretion, vent, evacuation, voiding. 3. Firing, explosion, blast, burst, firing off. 4. Observance, performance, fulfilment, execution. 5. Payment, settlement, liquidation, satisfaction, clearance. 6. Release, liberation, exemption. 7. Acquittal, exoneration, absolution.

Moby Thesaurus

AC arc, Poulsen arc, abide by, abrogate, absolution, absolve, accomplish, accomplished fact, accomplishment, accordance, achieve, achievement, acknowledgment, acquit, acquitment, acquittal, acquittance, adhere to, adherence, administer, administration, amnesty, amortization, amortize, amortizement, aperiodic discharge, arc, arc column, arc discharge, attain, attainment, ax, backfire, bang, bark, belch, binder, blast, bleed, blow open, blow out, blow up, blowout, blowup, boom, boot, boot out, booting out, bounce, bowshot, break, break bulk, break out, break up, brush discharge, bullet, bump, burst, burst forth, burst out, bust, can, canceled check, cannon, care, carry into execution, carry out, carry through, carrying out, cash, cash payment, cashier, cashiering, cast, cast forth, cast loose, cast out, catharsis, charge, charter, chuck out, chyle, cleanse, cleansing, clear, clear off, clearance, clearing, cock, colostrum, commission, compass, complete, completion, compliance, compurgation, conduct, conformance, conformity, conge, consummate, consummation, cope with, crack, deactivate, deal with, debouch, debrief, debt service, decant, decontaminate, defenestrate, defenestration, defluxion, defrayal, defrayment, defrock, degrade, dejecta, dejection, dejecture, deliver, deliverance, demob, demobilization, demobilize, demote, deplume, deposal, depose, deposit, deprive, destigmatization, destigmatize, destigmatizing, detach, detonate, detonation, detrude, detrusion, diplomatic immunity, disband, disbar, disburden, disburdening, disbursal, discard, disculpation, disembogue, disemploy, disemployment, disgorge, disgorgement, disintegrate, dismiss, dismissal, disorganize, dispatch, dispense, dispense from, dispense with, disperse, displace, displacing, displume, dispose of, disruptive discharge, dissolve, do, do the job, do the trick, doling out, down payment, drain, drainage, drop, drum out, drumming out, dump, earnest, earnest money, effect, effectuate, effectuation, effluence, effluent, efflux, effluxion, effuse, effusion, egest, egesta, egestion, ejaculate, ejaculation, eject, ejecta, ejectamenta, ejection, ejectment, electric discharge, electric shock, electric spark, electrodeless discharge, eliminate, elimination, emanation, emancipate, emergence, emersion, emission, emit, emotional release, empty, emptying, enact, enactment, enforce, enforcement, eruct, eructation, erupt, eruption, except, exception, exclude, excrement, excreta, excrete, excretes, excreting, excretion, exculpate, exculpation, excuse, execute, execution, exempt, exempt from, exemption, exfiltrate, exhalation, exhaust, exonerate, exoneration, expel, explode, explosion, expulsion, extravasate, extravasation, extrude, extrusion, exudate, exudation, exude, fait accompli, fell, fetch, fill out, filter, filtrate, fire, fire off, firing, flare, flash, flow, flowoff, flux, forced separation, forgive, forgiveness, franchise, free, free from, freeing, fruition, fulfill, fulfillment, fulguration, fulminate, fulmination, furlough, furloughing, fusillade, galvanic shock, give absolution, give dispensation from, give notice, give off, give release, give respite, give the ax, give the gate, give the hook, gleet, glow discharge, go bail for, go off, go separate ways, grant amnesty to, grant bail to, grant immunity, grant remission, gun, gun for, gunfire, gunshot, gush, handle, handling, heave out, heed, heeding, hire purchase, hire purchase plan, hit, honor, humor, hurl forth, ichor, immunity, implement, implementation, inactivate, installment, installment plan, interest payment, intermission, intermit, issuance, issue, jet, jettison, junk, justify, keeping, kick, kick downstairs, kick out, kick upstairs, kicking downstairs, knock off, lachryma, lactation, lay off, layoff, leach, leak, legislative immunity, let fly, let go, let go free, let loose, let off, let out, leukorrhea, liberate, liberty, license, lift, liquidate, liquidation, lixiviate, load, loose, loosen, lymph, make, make accounts square, make out, make redundant, manage, management, manumit, matter, meet, milk, mission accomplished, monthly payments, mucor, mucus, muster out, never-never, nonpros, notice, observance, observation, observe, obtrude, obtrusion, off-load, offload, offloading, ooze, oozing, oscillatory discharge, oust, ouster, ousting, outburst, outfall, outflow, outflowing, outpour, outpouring, pardon, parole, part, part company, pass, patent, pay, pay in full, pay off, pay the bill, pay the shot, pay up, paying, paying off, paying out, paying up, payment, payment in kind, payoff, peccant humor, pelt, pension off, pepper, percolate, perform, performance, permission, perpetration, phlegm, pick off, pink slip, pistol, plug, polish off, pop, pot, potshoot, potshot, pour, pour forth, pour out, practice, prepayment, prime, privilege, produce, production, promulgate, prosecute, prosecution, purgation, purge, purge away, purging, purulence, pus, put away, put in force, put on parole, put out, put through, quarterly payments, quash, quash the charge, quietus, quit, quittance, read out of, realization, realize, receipt, receipt in full, redeem, reek, regular payments, reject, rejection, release, relieve, remise, remission, remit, remittance, removal, remove, render, replace, report, reprieve, respect, respite, retire, retirement, rheum, riddle, runoff, sack, saliva, salvo, sanies, satisfaction, satisfy, save the necessity, scatter, secrete, secretion, seep, seepage, send away, send forth, send out, separate, separate forcibly, serous fluid, serum, set free, set off, settle, settlement, shock, shoot, shoot at, shoot down, shooting, shot, shrive, silent discharge, sinking-fund payment, snipe, snot, spare, spark, spark gap, spew, split up, spot cash, spout, spray, spurt, square, square accounts, square up, squirt, stoneshot, strain, strike, strike a balance, strip, succeed, success, superannuate, supersede, supplant, suppuration, surcease, surfacing, surplus, surplusing, suspend, suspension, sweat, take a potshot, take care of, take up, tattoo, tear, teardrop, terminate, the ax, the boot, the bounce, the gate, the sack, the whites, throw away, throw out, throw overboard, throwing out, thrust out, ticket, torpedo, toss out, touch off, transact, transaction, transpire, transudate, transudation, transude, turn off, turn out, turn the trick, unbind, unbinding, unbolting, unbridling, unbuckling, unburden, uncaging, unchain, unchaining, unfettering, unfrock, ungagging, unhand, unhanding, unharnessing, unhobbling, unlade, unlashing, unlatching, unleashing, unload, unloading, unlocking, unloosing, unmanacling, unmuzzling, unpack, unpenning, unshackle, unshackling, unship, unstrapping, untethering, untrussing, untying, unyoking, urine, vacate, vent, verdict of acquittal, vindicate, vindication, void, voiding, volley, vomit, voucher, walking papers, waste, waste matter, weekly payments, weep, whitewash, withdraw the charge, work, work out