- dis|charge
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–v.t.1. to release; let go; dismiss: »
to discharge a patient from a hospital, discharge a committee, discharge a lazy employee, discharge a prisoner.
SYNONYM(S): See syn. under dismiss (Cf. ↑dismiss).4. a) to unload (cargo or passengers) from a ship, train, bus, automobile, or airplane: »The taxi discharged its passengers at the hotel.
b) to unload (a ship).5. to rid of an electric charge; withdraw electricity from.6. Figurative. to perform (a duty or function): »to discharge the duties of postman. He discharged all the errands he had been given.
SYNONYM(S): See syn. under perform (Cf. ↑perform).7. to pay (a debt or other obligation): »You discharge a loan when you return the money.
9. Law. to cancel or set aside (a court order).10. Architecture. a) to transfer and distribute (a load). b) to relieve (a part) of weight or pressure by distributing over adjacent parts.11. to remove or bleach (a dye or color) from a textile, cloth, etc.–v.i.1. (of a gun) to go off: »The pistol discharged accidentally.
2. to come or pour forth: »The river discharges into a bay.
3. to lose an electric charge.4. to unload cargo or passengers from a ship, train, bus, automobile, or airplane.5. (of ink, dye, or other coloring matter) to run.–n.1. a) a release; a letting go; a dismissing: »an honorable discharge from the army. The prisoner expects his discharge from jail next week.
b) a writing that shows a person's release or dismissal; certificate of release: »Many members of the armed forces got discharges when the war ended.
2. a firing off of a gun or a blast: »The discharge of dynamite could be heard for three miles.
3. a giving off; a letting out: »Lightning is a discharge of electricity in the atmosphere.
4. a thing given off or let out: »a watery discharge from the eye.
5. the rate of flow: »The discharge from the pipe is ten gallons a second.
6. an unloading: »The discharge of this cargo will not take long.
7. Figurative. the performing of a duty: »A public servant should be honest in the discharge of his duties.
8. Figurative. payment (of a debt or other obligation): »Money was set aside for the discharge of the debt.
9. Electricity. a) the transference of electricity between two charged bodies when placed in contact with or near each other. b) the equalization of electric potential difference between terminals.╂[< Old French descharger < Vulgar Latin discarricāre < Latin dis- away, un- + carricāre to charge]
Useful english dictionary. 2012.
