dispose of
Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms.
dis·pose
(dĭ-spōz′)v. dis·posed, dis·pos·ing, dis·pos·es
v.tr.
1. To put into a willing or receptive frame of mind; incline: "If we're going to preach the politics of virtue, then we need to promote the social conditions that dispose people to be virtuous" (Lillian B. Rubin).
2. To place or set in a particular order; arrange: "Sally ... was beginning to loosen the upper sheet and dispose the pillows" (Harriet Beecher Stowe).
v.intr.
Phrasal Verb: To determine the course of events: Man proposes, God disposes.
dispose of
1. To finish dealing with something; settle: Let's dispose of the matter and turn to something else.
2. To give or transfer to someone else, especially permanently: She disposed of her estate among her heirs. He disposed of his memoirs to a research library.
3. To get rid of; throw out: He disposed of the newspapers after reading them.
4. To kill or destroy.
[Middle English disposen, to arrange, from Old French disposer, alteration (influenced by poser, to put, place) of Latin dispōnere, to arrange : dis-, apart; see dis- + pōnere, to put; see apo- in Indo-European roots.]
dis·pos′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
dispose of
get rid of1. 'dispose of'
If you dispose of something that you no longer want or need, you throw it away or give it to someone.
Hundreds of used computers had to be disposed of.
This is the safest means of disposing of nuclear waste.
Be Careful!
You must use of after dispose. Don't say that someone 'disposes something'.
2. 'get rid of'
Dispose is a fairly formal word. In conversation and in less formal writing, you usually say that someone gets rid of something.
Now let's get rid of all this stuff.
There was a lot of rubbish to be got rid of.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
Verb | 1. | dispose of - deal with or settle; "He disposed of these cases quickly" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
dispose
verb1. To put into a deliberate order:
2. To have an impact on in a certain way:
dispose of
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يَتَخَلَّصُ من
zbavit se
smide væk
losa sig viî
w>dispose of
vi +prep obj
(= get rid of) furniture → loswerden; (by selling) → veräußern, loswerden; unwanted person, goods → beseitigen, loswerden; litter, body → beseitigen; opponent, difficulties → aus dem Weg schaffen; question, matter → erledigen, regeln
(= have at disposal) fortune, time → verfügen über (+acc)
(= kill) → eliminieren
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
dispose
(diˈspəuz) verb1. to make inclined. I am not disposed to help him.
2. to arrange or settle.
diˈsposable adjective intended to be thrown away or destroyed after use. disposable cups/plates.
diˈsposal noun the act of getting rid of something. the disposal of waste paper.
at one's disposal available for one's use. They put a car at his disposal during his stay.
dispose of to get rid of. I've disposed of your old coat.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.