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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

DISCUSS, v.t. [L.] Literally, to drive; to beat or to shake in pieces; to separate by beating or shaking.
1. To disperse; to scatter; to dissolve; to repel; as, to discuss a tumor; a medical use of the word.
2. To debate; to agitate by argument; to clear of objections and difficulties, with a view to find or illustrate truth; to sift; to examine by disputation; to ventilate; to reason on, for the purpose of separating truth from falsehood. We discuss a subject, a point, a problem, a question, the propriety, expedience or justice of a measure, etc.
3. To break in pieces. [The primary sense, but not used.]
4. To shake off. [Not in use.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: to consider or examine in speech or writing; "The author talks about the different aspects of this question"; "The class discussed Dante's `Inferno'" [syn: discourse, talk about, discuss]
2: speak with others about (something); talk (something) over in detail; have a discussion; "We discussed our household budget" [syn: hash out, discuss, talk over]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French discusser, Latin discussus, past participle of discutere to disperse, from dis- apart + quatere to shake — more at dis-, quash Date: 14th century 1. obsolete dispel 2. a. to investigate by reasoning or argument b. to present in detail for examination or consideration <discussed plans for the party> c. to talk about 3. obsolete declare • discussable or discussible adjective • discusser noun Synonyms: discuss, argue, debate mean to discourse about in order to reach conclusions or to convince. discuss implies a sifting of possibilities especially by presenting considerations pro and con <discussed the need for a new highway>. argue implies the offering of reasons or evidence in support of convictions already held <argued that the project would be too costly>. debate suggests formal or public argument between opposing parties <debated the merits of the amendment>; it may also apply to deliberation with oneself <I'm debating whether I should go>.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 hold a conversation about (discussed their holidays). 2 examine by argument, esp. written; debate. Derivatives: discussable adj. discussant n. discusser n. discussible adj. Etymology: ME f. L discutere discuss- disperse (as DIS-, quatere shake)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Discuss Dis*cuss", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Discussed; p. pr. & vb. n. Discussing.] [L. discussus, p. p. of discutere to strike asunder (hence came the sense to separate mentally, distinguish); dis- + quatere to shake, strike. See Quash.] 1. To break to pieces; to shatter. [Obs.] --Sir T. Browne. 2. To break up; to disperse; to scatter; to dissipate; to drive away; -- said especially of tumors. Many arts were used to discuss the beginnings of new affection. --Sir H. Wotton. A pomade . . . of virtue to discuss pimples. --Rambler. 3. To shake; to put away; to finish. [Obs.] All regard of shame she had discussed. --Spenser. 4. To examine in detail or by disputation; to reason upon by presenting favorable and adverse considerations; to debate; to sift; to investigate; to ventilate. ``We sat and . . . discussed the farm . . . and the price of grain.'' --Tennyson. ``To discuss questions of taste.'' --Macaulay. 5. To deal with, in eating or drinking. [Colloq.] We sat quietly down and discussed a cold fowl that we had brought with us. --Sir S. Baker. 6. (Law) To examine or search thoroughly; to exhaust a remedy against, as against a principal debtor before proceeding against the surety. --Burrill. Syn: To Discuss, Examine, Debate. We speak of examining a subject when we ponder it with care, in order to discover its real state, or the truth respecting it. We speak of discussing a topic when we examine it thoroughly in its distinct parts. The word is very commonly applied to matters of opinion. We may discuss a subject without giving in an adhesion to any conclusion. We speak of debating a point when we examine it in mutual argumentation between opposing parties. In debate we contend for or against some conclusion or view.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(discusses, discussing, discussed) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. If people discuss something, they talk about it, often in order to reach a decision. I will be discussing the situation with colleagues tomorrow... The cabinet met today to discuss how to respond to the ultimatum. VERB: V n, V wh to-inf 2. If you discuss something, you write or talk about it in detail. I will discuss the role of diet in cancer prevention in Chapter 7... VERB: V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. Debate, sift, canvass, ventilate, agitate, argue, reason about, consider, deliberate (upon).

Moby Thesaurus

advise with, agitate, air, analyze, argue, bargain, call in, canvass, collogue, comment upon, compare notes, confer, confer with, consider, consult, consult with, controvert, counsel, criticize, deal with, debate, deliberate, deliberate over, deliberate upon, descant, discept, discourse, discourse about, discuss with, dispute, dissert, dissertate, examine, exchange observations, exchange views, go into, handle, have conversations, hold conference, inquire into, interpret, investigate, knock around, moot, negotiate, palaver, parley, pass under review, powwow, pro and con, put heads together, rap, reason, reason about, reason the point, reason with, refer to, remark upon, review, sift, sit down together, sit down with, study, survey, take counsel, take up, take up with, talk, talk about, talk of, talk over, thrash out, thresh out, toss, touch upon, treat, treat of, ventilate, write up