disassemble
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
- disassembly noun
Etymology
Origin of disassemble
Explanation
The verb disassemble means to take something apart. It's one thing to disassemble a computer; it's a whole other thing to put it back together again. If you take your car to the repair shop to have a squeaky brake fixed, you'll be surprised to see the mechanics quickly disassemble your car, removing even its wheels and doors. You can use the word disassemble whenever something's dismantled or broken into pieces. Originally, disassemble meant "to disperse," or to stop a crowd of people from assembling, but the meaning changed to its current definition in the 1600s.
Vocabulary lists containing disassemble
Commonly Confused Words, List 4
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"Modern Automotive Technology," Vocabulary from Section 9
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The Kill Order
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I saw this guy literally disassemble himself in front of me, and now I'm seeing him again."
From BBC • Jul. 6, 2025
When work is performed out of sequence, it may mean having to partially disassemble some earlier work in order to install a component.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 5, 2024
"In other words, we can disassemble the fabric so that we can recycle far more textiles in the future."
From Science Daily • Jan. 13, 2024
And then, “if you’re daring,” Mr. Krasnow added in an email, the goal is “to fully disassemble it into about 40 individual pieces.”
From New York Times • Dec. 29, 2023
When we die our atoms will disassemble and move off to find new uses elsewhere–as part of a leaf or other human being or drop of dew.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
