Adjacent Words

Dispatch definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

DISPATCH, v.t. [L.]
1. To send or send away; particularly applied to the sending of messengers, agents and letters on special business, and often implying haste. The king dispatched and envoy to the court of Madrid. He dispatched a messenger to his envoy in France. He dispatched orders or letters to the commander of the forces in Spain. The president dispatched a special envoy to the court of St. James in 1794.
2. To send out of the world; to put to death.
The company shall stone them with stones, and dispatch them with their swords. Ezek 23.
3. To perform; to execute speedily; to finish; as, the business was dispatched in due time.
DISPATCH, v.i. To conclude an affair with another; to transact and finish. [Not now used.]
They have dispatched with Pompey.
DISPATCH, n.
1. Speedy performance; execution or transaction of business with due diligence.
2. Speed; haste; expedition; due diligence; as, the business was done with dispatch; go, but make dispatch.
3. Conduct; management. [Not used.]
4. A letter sent or to be sent with expedition, by a messenger express; or a letter on some affair of state, or of public concern; or a packet of letters, sent by some public officer, on public business. It is often used in the plural. A vessel or a messenger has arrived with dispatches for the American minister. A dispatch was immediately sent to the admiral. The secretary was preparing his dispatches.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an official report (usually sent in haste) [syn: dispatch, despatch, communique]
2: the act of sending off something [syn: dispatch, despatch, shipment]
3: the property of being prompt and efficient; "it was done with dispatch" [syn: dispatch, despatch, expedition, expeditiousness]
4: killing a person or animal [syn: dispatch, despatch] v
1: send away towards a designated goal [syn: dispatch, despatch, send off]
2: complete or carry out; "discharge one's duties" [syn: dispatch, discharge, complete]
3: kill intentionally and with premeditation; "The mafia boss ordered his enemies murdered" [syn: murder, slay, hit, dispatch, bump off, off, polish off, remove]
4: dispose of rapidly and without delay and efficiently; "He dispatched the task he was assigned"
5: kill without delay; "the traitor was dispatched by the conspirators"

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: Spanish despachar or Italian dispacciare, from Occitan despachar to get rid of, from Middle French despechier to set free, from Old French, from des- dis- + -pechier (as in enpechier to ensnare) — more at impeach Date: 1517 transitive verb 1. to send off or away with promptness or speed; especially to send off on official business 2. a. to kill with quick efficiency b. obsolete deprive 3. to dispose of (as a task) rapidly or efficiently 4. defeat 3 intransitive verb archaic to make haste ; hurry Synonyms: see kill • dispatcher noun II. noun Date: 1537 1. a. a message sent with speed; especially an important official message sent by a diplomatic, military, or naval officer b. a news item filed by a correspondent 2. the act of dispatching: as a. obsolete dismissal b. the act of killing c. (1) prompt settlement (as of an item of business) (2) quick riddance d. a sending off ; shipment 3. promptness and efficiency in performance or transmission <done with dispatch> Synonyms: see haste

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. (also despatch) --v.tr. 1 send off to a destination or for a purpose (dispatched him with the message). 2 perform (business, a task, etc.) promptly; finish off. 3 kill, execute (dispatched him with the revolver). 4 colloq. eat (food, a meal, etc.) quickly. --n. 1 the act or an instance of sending (a messenger, letter, etc.). 2 the act or an instance of killing; execution. 3 a an official written message on State or esp. military affairs. b a report sent in by a newspaper's correspondent, usu. from a foreign country. 4 promptness, efficiency (done with dispatch). Phrases and idioms: dispatch-box (or -case) a container for esp. official State or military documents or dispatches. dispatch-rider a motor cyclist or rider on horseback carrying military dispatches. Derivatives: dispatcher n. Etymology: It. dispacciare or Sp. despachar expedite (as DIS-, It. impacciare and Sp. empachar hinder, of uncert. orig.)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Dispatch Dis*patch", v. i. To make haste; to conclude an affair; to finish a matter of business. They have dispatched with Pompey. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Dispatch Dis*patch", n. [Cf. OF. despeche, F. d['e]p[^e]che. See Dispatch, v. t.] [Written also despatch.] 1. The act of sending a message or messenger in haste or on important business. 2. Any sending away; dismissal; riddance. To the utter dispatch of all their most beloved comforts. --Milton. 3. The finishing up of a business; speedy performance, as of business; prompt execution; diligence; haste. Serious business, craving quick dispatch. --Shak. To carry his scythe . . . with a sufficient dispatch through a sufficient space. --Paley. 4. A message dispatched or sent with speed; especially, an important official letter sent from one public officer to another; -- often used in the plural; as, a messenger has arrived with dispatches for the American minister; naval or military dispatches. 5. A message transmitted by telegraph. [Modern] Dispatch boat, a swift vessel for conveying dispatches; an advice boat. Dispatch box, a box for carrying dispatches; a box for papers and other conveniences when traveling. Syn: Haste; hurry; promptness; celerity; speed. See Haste.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Dispatch Dis*patch" (?; 224), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dispatched; p. pr. & vb. n. Dispatching.] [OF. despeechier, F. d['e]p[^e]cher; prob. from pref. des- (L. dis-) + (assumed) LL. pedicare to place obstacles in the way, fr. L. pedica fetter, fr. pes, pedis, foot. See Foot, and cf. Impeach, Despatch.] [Written also despatch.] 1. To dispose of speedily, as business; to execute quickly; to make a speedy end of; to finish; to perform. Ere we put ourselves in arms, dispatch we The business we have talked of. --Shak. [The] harvest men . . . almost in one fair day dispatcheth all the harvest work. --Robynson (More's Utopia). 2. To rid; to free. [Obs.] I had clean dispatched myself of this great charge. --Udall. 3. To get rid of by sending off; to send away hastily. Unless dispatched to the mansion house in the country . . . they perish among the lumber of garrets. --Walpole. 4. To send off or away; -- particularly applied to sending off messengers, messages, letters, etc., on special business, and implying haste. Even with the speediest expedition I will dispatch him to the emperor's cou??. --Shak. 5. To send out of the world; to put to death. The company shall stone them with stones, and dispatch them with their swords. --Ezek. xxiii. 47. Syn: To expedite; hasten; speed; accelerate; perform; conclude; finish; slay; kill.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(dispatches, dispatching, dispatched) Note: in BRIT, also use 'despatch' 1. If you dispatch someone to a place, you send them there for a particular reason. (FORMAL) He dispatched scouts ahead... The Italian government was preparing to dispatch 4,000 soldiers to search the island. = send VERB: V n adv/prep, V n to-inf • Dispatch is also a noun. The despatch of the task force is purely a contingency measure. N-UNCOUNT: usu N of n 2. If you dispatch a message, letter, or parcel, you send it to a particular person or destination. (FORMAL) The victory inspired him to dispatch a gleeful telegram to Roosevelt... Free gifts are dispatched separately so please allow 28 days for delivery. = send VERB: V n prep/adv, be V-ed, also V n • Dispatch is also a noun. We have 125 cases ready for dispatch. 3. A dispatch is a special report that is sent to a newspaper or broadcasting organization by a journalist who is in a different town or country. ...this despatch from our West Africa correspondent. = bulletin N-COUNT 4. A dispatch is a message or report that is sent, for example, by army officers or government officials to their headquarters. I was carrying dispatches from the ambassador. N-COUNT 5. To dispatch a person or an animal means to kill them. (OLD-FASHIONED) The fox takes his chance with a pack of hounds which may catch him and despatch him immediately. VERB: V n

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

dis-pach': Occurs Tobit 7:8 in the sense of dispatch of business, "Let this business be dispatched" (the Revised Version (British and American) "finished"); 2 Macc 12:18, "before he had dispatched anything" (the Revised Version (British and American) "without accomplishing"); The Wisdom of Solomon 11:19 (20) in the sense of finishing, destroying, "dispatch them at once" (the Revised Version (British and American) "consume"); 2 Macc 9:4 "dispatch the journey" (katanuein), which may mean "finish it quickly" Revised Version (British and American) spells "despatch."

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n., v. a. See despatch.

Moby Thesaurus

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