Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- transitive verb To relegate to a specific destination or send on specific business. synonym: send.
- transitive verb To complete, transact, or dispose of promptly.
- transitive verb To eat up (food); finish off (a dish or meal).
- transitive verb To put to death summarily.
- noun The act of sending off, as to a specific destination.
- noun Dismissal or rejection of something regarded as unimportant or unworthy of consideration.
- noun The act of putting to death.
- noun Speed in performance or movement. synonym: haste.
- noun A written message, particularly an official communication, sent with speed.
- noun An important message sent by a diplomat or an officer in the armed forces.
- noun A news item sent to a news organization, as by a correspondent.
from The Century Dictionary.
- etc. See
despatch , etc.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To make haste; to conclude an affair; to finish a matter of business.
- transitive verb To dispose of speedily, as business; to execute quickly; to make a speedy end of; to finish; to perform.
- transitive verb obsolete To rid; to free.
- transitive verb To get rid of by sending off; to send away hastily.
- transitive verb To send off or away; -- particularly applied to sending off messengers, messages, letters, etc., on special business, and implying haste.
- transitive verb To send out of the world; to put to death.
- noun The act of sending a message or messenger in haste or on important business.
- noun Any sending away; dismissal; riddance.
- noun The finishing up of a business; speedy performance, as of business; prompt execution; diligence; haste.
- noun A message dispatched or sent with speed; especially, an important official letter sent from one public officer to another; -- often used in the plural
- noun Modern A message transmitted by telegraph.
- noun a swift vessel for conveying dispatches; an advice boat.
- noun a box for carrying dispatches; a box for papers and other conveniences when traveling.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb To send a shipment with
promptness . - verb To send an important official message sent by a diplomat or military officer with
promptness . - verb To hurry.
- verb obsolete To
deprive . - verb To destroy quickly and efficiently.
- verb computing To pass on for further processing, especially via a
dispatch table (often with to). - noun A message sent quickly, as a shipment, a prompt settlement of a business, or an important official message sent by a diplomat, or military officer.
- noun The act of getting rid of something quickly.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun killing a person or animal
- verb dispose of rapidly and without delay and efficiently
- verb send away towards a designated goal
- noun the act of sending off something
- noun an official report (usually sent in haste)
- verb kill intentionally and with premeditation
- verb kill without delay
- noun the property of being prompt and efficient
- verb complete or carry out
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Any hint of fragility and dispatch is fast and lethal – threatening a chain reaction that could once again bring down the entire financial system.
City reform has got off to a good start. Now for some real action Will Hutton 2010
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Aaron, why so hateful, why so cutting .... are you back in dispatch?
Tiger, Tiger Tyler 2009
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Quick Quiz: Can you determine what, precisely, is meant by “free will” in this dispatch from a panel at the World Science Festival featuring a psychologist, a neuroscientist, and a philosopher?
Pop Philosophy Watch 2009
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The dispatch is notable for the vast fund of information London was able to gather, down to the precise details on what the Japanese infantryman carried in his kit.
JACK LONDON'S WAR 2010
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The dispatch is to be reproduced by media all around the world.
Global Voices in English » Morocco: Bloggers React to the Banning of Magazines 2009
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And another dispatch from the first lady's campaign trail here from our colleague Nia-Malika Henderson
Read this: First lady on the campaign trail The Reliable Source 2010
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A dispatch from a San Miguel-related mailing list has it that thieves disguising themselves as Telmex employees "fixing the lines" have been gaining entry into homes to steal.
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And just to close the circle, here is my final dispatch from the campaign trail.
Obama Offers Rahm Chief-of-Staff Position - Swampland - TIME.com 2008
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However, according to a dispatch from the Associated Press, back on the campaign trail on Sunday, Mr. Obama was not offering hugs, but tough words for Mr. McCain:
Early Word: Convention Previews - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com 2008
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She called dispatch as she had done for almost ten years as a Probation and Parole Officer, and identified herself as she had done for almost ten years.
karpkatamala commented on the word dispatch
Peterson was quick to shut down students who used "facile ideological arguments" from either end of the political spectrum. "He would dispatch them readily and was unafraid to do so," Hurwitz says.
January 18, 2018