dispose of

Idioms  

1. Attend to, settle, deal with, as in He quickly disposed of the problem . [Early 1600s]

2. Transfer, part with, as by giving away or selling. For example, They wanted to dispose of the land as soon as possible . [Second half of 1600s]

3. Get rid of, throw out, as in Can we dispose of the trash in this barrel? Oliver Goldsmith had this idiom in She Stoops to Conquer (1773): “I'm disposing of the husband before I have secured the lover.” [Mid-1600s]

4. Kill or destroy; also, humorously, consume. For example, The king was determined to dispose of his enemies , or John disposed of the cake in no time . [Second half of 1800s]

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Example Sentences

Dispose of hazardous materials in your garage or garden shed by taking them to a King County hazardous waste disposal location in North Seattle, South Seattle, Factoria or Auburn.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 26, 2022

Dispose of the excess liquid in the bowl but leave the white potato starch on the bottom.

From Fox News • Nov. 27, 2021

Dispose of putty once it becomes covered in dust and dirt.

From The Verge • Nov. 9, 2021

Cleanup Dispose of the seeds from your fruit or, if you're motivated and curious, look into how you could grow from your seeds.

From Scientific American • Jul. 19, 2012

"Thank'e, ma'am," said Jem, making his best bow, for he thought by the lady's looks that she meant to do him a favour, though he repeated to himself, "Dispose of them, what does that mean?"

From The Parent's Assistant by Edgeworth, Maria

Related Words

• destroy
• discard
• dump
• eliminate
• get rid of
• relinquish
• scrap
• sell
• unload