dispose

[ dih-spohz ]

/ dɪˈspoʊz /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR dispose ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), dis·posed, dis·pos·ing.

to give a tendency or inclination to; incline: His temperament disposed him to argue readily with people.

to put in a particular or the proper order or arrangement; adjust by arranging the parts.

to put in a particular or suitable place: The lamp was disposed on a table nearby.

to make fit or ready; prepare: Your words of cheer dispose me for the task.

verb (used without object), dis·posed, dis·pos·ing.

to arrange or decide matters: to do as God disposes.

Obsolete. to make terms.

noun

Archaic. disposition; habit.

Obsolete. arrangement; regulation; disposal.

Verb Phrases

dispose of,

to deal with conclusively; settle.
to get rid of; discard.
to transfer or give away, as by gift or sale.
to do away with; destroy.

Nearby words

Origin of dispose

1300–50; Middle English < Middle French disposer, equivalent to dis- dis-¹ + poser to place (see pose¹), on the model of Latin dispōnere

Related formsdis·pos·ing·ly, adverbre·dis·pose, verb (used with object), re·dis·posed, re·dis·pos·ing.

Can be confuseddispose disperse

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for dispose

Nothing much to use in cleaning up the baby and his mother after the birth, no place to dispose of the placenta.
Jesus Wasn’t Born Rich. Think About It.|Gene Robinson|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Jewish Week reported that sources said Hynes was expected to dispose of the case with a lenient plea deal.
The Orthodox Sex Abuse Crackdown That Wasn’t|Emily Shire|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And with so many pigs dying, farms have been challenged to try to find hygienic ways to dispose of the carcasses.
Aporkalypse Now: Pig-Killing Virus Could Mean the End of Bacon|Carrie Arnold|August 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He wanted to make sure that he had the maximum amount of time to attack his victim and dispose of her body.
A Serial Killer on the Loose in Nazi Berlin|Scott Andrew Selby|January 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The Japanese team then folded, allowing Rong Guotuan quickly to dispose of his last opponent.
How to Hide a Famine with Ping-Pong|Nicholas Griffin|January 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Everyone holding it has been anxious to dispose of it on any terms.
A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents: Ulysses S. Grant|James D. Richardson
I have very little to dispose of; it is almost all entailed property.
Guy Livingstone;|George A. Lawrence
How to dispose of this sum for the best advantage of his family, was matter of anxious consideration to Butler.
The Heart of Mid-Lothian, Volume 2, Illustrated|Sir Walter Scott
I now supposed he was angry because my uncle would not "dispose" of me in some manner which he proposed.
Seek and Find|Oliver Optic
Indeed it would not be difficult to dispose of it by the method of reasoning familiarly known as a reductio ad absurdum.
The Bridling of Pegasus|Alfred Austin

British Dictionary definitions for dispose

dispose

/ (dɪˈspəʊz) /

verb

(intr foll by of)

to deal with or settle
to give, sell, or transfer to another
to throw out or away
to consume, esp hurriedly
to kill

to arrange or settle (matters) by placing into correct or final conditionman proposes, God disposes

(tr) to make willing or receptive

(tr) to adjust or place in a certain order or position

(tr often foll by to) to accustom or condition

noun

an obsolete word for disposal, disposition

Derived Formsdisposer, noun

Word Origin for dispose

C14: from Old French disposer, from Latin dispōnere to set in different places, arrange, from dis- 1 + pōnere to place

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for dispose

dispose

late 14c., from Old French disposer (13c.) "arrange, order, control, regulate" (influenced in form by poser "to place"), from Latin disponere "put in order, arrange, distribute," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + ponere "to put, place" (see position). Related: Disposed; disposing.

dispose

verb (used with object), dis·posed, dis·pos·ing.

verb (used without object), dis·posed, dis·pos·ing.

noun

Verb Phrases

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of dispose

Examples from the Web for dispose

dispose

verb

noun

Word Origin for dispose

dispose