<B>disdain, </B>verb, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> to look down on; consider beneath oneself or one's notice; scorn. <BR> <I>Ex. The honest official disdained the offer of a bribe. Now that she is rich, she disdains to speak to her old friends.</I> (SYN) despise, spurn. <DD><I>noun </I> the act of looking down on a person or an action as beneath one; scorn. <BR> <I>Ex. The conceited boy treated his brothers and sisters with disdain.</I> (SYN) contempt. noun <B>disdainer.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="disdainful">
<B>disdainful, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> proud and scornful; feeling or showing disdain. <BR> <I>Ex. a disdainful toss of the head.</I> (SYN) contemptuous, scornful. adv. <B>disdainfully.</B> noun <B>disdainfulness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="disease">
<B>disease, </B>noun, verb, <B>-eased,</B> <B>-easing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>sickness; illness; a condition in which an organ, system, or part does not function properly. <BR> <I>Ex. Cleanliness helps prevent disease. People, animals, and plants are all liable to suffer from disease. Great strides are also being made in ... immunology--the study of the body's natural defenses against disease (James E. Brody).</I> (SYN) ailment. <DD><B> 2. </B>any particular illness. <BR> <I>Ex. Measles and chicken pox are two diseases of childhood.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>an unhealthy condition of a plant or a product. <BR> <I>Ex. the diseases of grains.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Figurative.) a disordered or bad condition, such as that of mind, morals, or public affairs. <BR> <I>Ex. It is the disease of not listening, the malady of not marking, that I am troubled withall (Shakespeare). The disease with which the human mind now labors is want of faith (Emerson).</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>(Obsolete.) dis-ease; uneasiness. <DD><I>v.t. </I> to cause sickness or illness in; infect. </DL>
<B>diseased, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>having a disease; showing signs of sickness or illness. <BR> <I>Ex. a diseased heart. A diseased lung may be removed by an operation.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) disordered. <BR> <I>Ex. An insane person has a diseased mind.</I> </DL>
<B>diseconomy, </B>noun, pl. <B>-mies.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> something that is economically harmful, inefficient, or unprofitable; misuse of the economy. <BR> <I>Ex. The old stock example of a diseconomy ... was the factory pouring out smoke and grime to the detriment of the family washing on the line (Sunday Times). The analogy is supported by the many similar diseconomies that are fostered under the two systems of financing, all dissipating some of the potential benefits of the public and private money spent for medical care (Scientific American).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="disedge">
<B>disedge, </B>transitive verb, <B>-edged,</B> <B>-edging.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to take the edge off; blunt; dull. <BR> <I>Ex. served a little to disedge the sharpness of that pain (Tennyson).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="disedification">
<B>disedification, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the act of disedifying; a scandal. </DL>
<A NAME="disedify">
<B>disedify, </B>transitive verb, <B>-fied,</B> <B>-fying.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to scandalize. </DL>
<A NAME="diselectrification">
<B>diselectrification, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the act or process of diselectrifying. </DL>
<A NAME="diselectrify">
<B>diselectrify, </B>transitive verb, <B>-fied,</B> <B>-fying.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to free from electricity; make nonelectric. </DL>
<A NAME="disembark">
<B>disembark, </B>transitive verb, intransitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> to get off or land from a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle; debark. <BR> <I>Ex. ... disembarking at the Wall Street heliport (New York Times). The cabin stopped, and the skiers began to disembark (Irwin Shaw).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="disembarkation">
<B>disembarkation, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the act of disembarking. </DL>
<A NAME="disembarrass">
<B>disembarrass, </B>transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to free from something that holds back or entangles; disengage; disentangle. <BR> <I>Ex. ... disembarrassing himself of contact with any faction within the State (London Times).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to relieve; rid. <BR> <I>Ex. He appeared to have disembarrassed himself of all traces of the good manners in which he had been trained.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to free from embarrassment or uneasiness. </DL>
<A NAME="disembarrassment">
<B>disembarrassment, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the act of disembarrassing. <DD><B> 2. </B>the state of being disembarrassed. </DL>
<A NAME="disembed">
<B>disembed, </B>transitive verb, <B>-bedded,</B> <B>-bedding.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to free or remove (something embedded). </DL>
<A NAME="disembellish">
<B>disembellish, </B>transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> to deprive of embellishment. </DL>
<A NAME="disembodied">
<B>disembodied, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> separated from the body. <BR> <I>Ex. Ghosts are usually thought of as disembodied spirits.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="disembodiment">
<B>disembodiment, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the act of disembodying. <DD><B> 2. </B>the state of being disembodied. </DL>
<A NAME="disembody">
<B>disembody, </B>transitive verb, <B>-bodied,</B> <B>-bodying.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to separate (a soul, spirit, etc.) from the body. </DL>
<A NAME="disembogue">
<B>disembogue, </B>transitive verb, intransitive verb, <B>-bogued,</B> <B>-boguing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(of a river, lake, strait, or the like) to pour forth (its waters) at the mouth. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) to emerge or discharge. </DL>
<A NAME="disemboguement">
<B>disemboguement, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a pouring forth of water. <DD><B> 2. </B>the place where water pours forth. </DL>
<A NAME="disembosom">
<B>disembosom, </B>transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> to disclose; reveal. <DD><I>v.i. </I> to unburden oneself. </DL>
<A NAME="disembowel">
<B>disembowel, </B>transitive verb, <B>-eled,</B> <B>-eling</B> or (especially British) <B>-elled,</B> <B>-elling.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to take or rip out the bowels or entrails of; eviscerate. <BR> <I>Ex. The sharp horns of the antelope disemboweled the lion.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative:) <BR> <I>Ex. to disembowel an engine.</I> <DD> Also, <B>disentrail.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="disembowelment">
<B>disembowelment, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the act or process of disemboweling; evisceration. </DL>
<A NAME="disembroil">
<B>disembroil, </B>transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> to free from embroilment, entanglement, or confusion. </DL>
<A NAME="disemplane">
<B>disemplane, </B>intransitive verb, <B>-planed,</B> <B>-planing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to get off an airplane; deplane. <BR> <I>Ex. One of his wives was promptly told to disemplane ... and the Nawab took off for Pakistan (London Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="disemploy">
<B>disemploy, </B>transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> to dismiss or release from employment; put out of work. <BR> <I>Ex. Would industry stop dead when it disemployed the last man ... ? (New Yorker).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="disemployment">
<B>disemployment, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> lack of employment; a being unemployed. <BR> <I>Ex. Instead of saying that a lot of people might lose their jobs and become unemployed, the economists talked about increasing "disemployment" (Tuscaloose News).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="disenable">
<B>disenable, </B>transitive verb, <B>-bled,</B> <B>-bling.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to make unable; disable. <BR> <I>Ex. He thought ... that the absurdly strong colouring of the picture would disenable the work from doing either good or harm (Anthony Trollope).</I> noun <B>disenablement.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="disenchant">
<B>disenchant, </B>transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> to free from enchantment or illusion; disillusion. <BR> <I>Ex. I thought that he would be charming, but I was disenchanted when I met him. The most deeply entrenched tyrant can be destroyed by aroused public opinion and disenchanted military leaders (Time).</I> adv. <B>disenchantedly.</B> noun <B>disenchanter.</B> adv. <B>disenchantingly.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="disenchantment">
<B>disenchantment, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a freeing or being freed from enchantment or illusion. <BR> <I>Ex. If the new election is delayed, the disenchantment with [the candidate] might grow enough to defeat him (Wall Street Journal). This general disenchantment with the world ... only intensified her sense of forlornness (George Eliot).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="disencumber">
<B>disencumber, </B>transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> to free from a burden, annoyance, or trouble. <BR> <I>Ex. She disencumbered herself of her pile of Christmas parcels.</I> (SYN) disembarrass, release. </DL>
<A NAME="disencumberment">
<B>disencumberment, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the act of disencumbering. <DD><B> 2. </B>the fact of being disencumbered. </DL>
<A NAME="disendow">
<B>disendow, </B>transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> to deprive (a church or other institution) of endowments. noun <B>disendower.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="disendowment">
<B>disendowment, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the act or fact of disendowing. </DL>
<A NAME="disenfranchise">
<B>disenfranchise, </B>transitive verb, <B>-chised,</B> <B>-chising.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to take any right or privilege away from. <BR> <I>Ex. to disenfranchise rowdy children. The philosophy is, if you can't lick 'em, disenfranchise 'em (Wall Street Journal).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=disfranchise </B>(def. 1). </DL>
<A NAME="disenfranchisement">
<B>disenfranchisement, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the act or process of disenfranchising. <DD><B> 2. </B>the state of being disenfranchised. </DL>
<A NAME="disengage">
<B>disengage, </B>verb, <B>-gaged,</B> <B>-gaging.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to free or release from anything that holds; detach; loosen. <BR> <I>Ex. The mother gently disengaged her hand from that of the sleeping child. Disengage the clutch.</I> (SYN) free. <DD><B> 2. </B>to free from an engagement, pledge, or obligation. (SYN) release. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Military.) to withdraw from combat or contact with (an enemy). <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to free oneself; get loose. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Military.) to withdraw from an engagement; retreat. <BR> <I>Ex. The French disengaged quite rapidly after Dien Bien Phu, and indeed they performed an extraordinary evacuation (Listener).</I> </DL>