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deactivate
[ dee-ak-tuh-veyt ]
/ diˈæk təˌveɪt /
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verb (used with object), de·ac·ti·vat·ed, de·ac·ti·vat·ing.
to cause to be inactive; remove the effectiveness of.
to demobilize or disband (a military unit).
to render (a bomb, shell, or the like) inoperative, especially by disconnecting, removing, or otherwise interfering with the action of the fuze.
Chemistry. to render (a chemical, enzyme, catalyst, etc.) inactive.
verb (used without object), de·ac·ti·vat·ed, de·ac·ti·vat·ing.
Physical Chemistry. to lose radioactivity.
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OTHER WORDS FROM deactivate
de·ac·ti·va·tion, nounde·ac·ti·va·tor, nounWords nearby deactivate
deacon, deaconess, deaconry, deacon seat, de-acquisition, deactivate, deacylase, dead, dead ahead, dead air, dead-air space
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use deactivate in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for deactivate
deactivate
/ (diːˈæktɪˌveɪt) /
verb
(tr) to make (a bomb, etc) harmless or inoperative
(intr) to become less radioactive
(tr) US to end the active status of (a military unit)
chem to return or cause to return from an activated state to a normal or ground state
Derived forms of deactivate
deactivation, noundeactivator, nounCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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