Adjacent Words

Disengage definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

DISENGAGE, v.t. [dis and engage.]
1. To separate, as a substance from any thing with which it is in union; to free; to loose; to liberate; as, to disengage a metal from extraneous substances.
Caloric and light must be disengaged during the process.
2. To separate from that to which one adheres, or is attached; as, to disengage a man from a party.
3. To disentangle; to extricate; to clear from impediments, difficulties or perplexities; as, to disengage one from broils or controversies.
4. To detach; to withdraw; to wean; as, to disengage the heart or affections from earthly pursuits.
5. To free from any thing that commands the mind, or employs the attention; as, to disengage the mind from study; to disengage ones self from business.
6. To release or liberate from a promise or obligation; to set free by dissolving an engagement; as, the men, who were enlisted, are now disengaged; the lady, who had promised to give her hand in marriage, is disengaged. Let it be observed that disengaged properly implies previous engagement; and is not to be confounded with unengaged, which does not always imply prior engagement. This distinction is sometimes carelessly overlooked.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: release from something that holds fast, connects, or entangles; "I want to disengage myself from his influence"; "disengage the gears" [syn: disengage, withdraw] [ant: engage, lock, mesh, operate]
2: free or remove obstruction from; "free a path across the cluttered floor" [syn: free, disengage] [ant: block, close up, impede, jam, obstruct, obturate, occlude]
3: become free; "in neutral, the gears disengage" [ant: engage]

Merriam Webster's

verb Etymology: French désengager, from Middle French, from des- dis- + engager to engage Date: 1611 transitive verb to release from something that engages or involves intransitive verb to release or detach oneself ; withdraw • disengagement noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v. 1 tr. detach, free, loosen, or separate (parts etc.) (disengaged the clutch). 2 tr. Mil. remove (troops) from a battle or a battle area. 3 intr. become detached. 4 intr. Fencing pass the point of one's sword to the other side of one's opponent's. 5 intr. (as disengaged adj.) a unoccupied; free; vacant. b uncommitted, esp. politically. --n. Fencing a disengaging movement.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Disengage Dis`en*gage", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Disengaged; p. pr. & vb. n. Disengaging.] [Pref. dis- + engage: cf. F. d['e]sengager.] To release from that with which anything is engaged, engrossed, involved, or entangled; to extricate; to detach; to set free; to liberate; to clear; as, to disengage one from a party, from broils and controversies, from an oath, promise, or occupation; to disengage the affections a favorite pursuit, the mind from study. To disengage him and the kingdom, great sums were to be borrowed. --Milton. Caloric and light must be disengaged during the process. --Transl. of Lavoisier. Syn: To liberate; free; loose; extricate; clear; disentangle; detach; withdraw; wean.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Disengage Dis`en*gage", v. i. To release one's self; to become detached; to free one's self. From a friends's grave how soon we disengage! --Young.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(disengages, disengaging, disengaged) If you disengage something, or if it disengages, it becomes separate from something which it has been attached to. She disengaged the film advance mechanism on the camera... John gently disengaged himself from his sister's tearful embrace... His front brake cable disengaged. VERB: V n, V pron-refl from n, V

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Release, extricate, liberate, clear, disentangle, disembroil, disembarrass, loose, unloose, free, set free. 2. Separate, detach, divide, disjoin, disunite, dissociate. 3. Withdraw, wean, draw off.

Moby Thesaurus

abrupt, abstract, alienate, back down, back out, beat a retreat, break loose, break out, break with, cast off, cast out, clear, cut adrift, cut loose, cut off, cut out, delete, depart, detach, disarticulate, disburden, disconnect, disembarrass, disembroil, disencumber, disentangle, disinvolve, disjoin, disjoint, dislodge, dissociate, disunite, divide, divorce, doff, draw back, draw off, eject, estrange, expel, extricate, fall back, free, free up, get away from, get out, get out of, get rid of, give ground, give place, go back, isolate, leave, liberate, loose, loosen, move back, part, pull away, pull back, pull out, release, remove, retire, retreat, run back, segregate, separate, sequester, set apart, set aside, set free, shake off, shut off, split, stand aloof, stand apart, stand aside, stand back, step aside, subtract, take off, tear loose, throw off, throw out, unbar, unbind, unbolt, unbuckle, unbutton, unchain, unclasp, unclutter, uncouple, undo, unfasten, unfetter, unglue, unhook, unknot, unlace, unlatch, unleash, unlock, unloose, unloosen, unravel, unscramble, unsnarl, unstick, unstrap, untangle, untie, unyoke, weigh anchor, withdraw