dispose of

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]

Example Sentences

He visually compares Man-soo’s wife’s head to the shovel that will be used to help dispose of victims, and the family’s house is superimposed over a bonfire, implying what’s at stake.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Usually whale carcasses are disposed of by the landowner but scientists, who hold a licence from Natural England, are allowed to take animal bones for scientific and educational purposes if permission is granted.

Read more on BBC

While many brands say their wipes are "flushable" and environmentally friendly, whether they can and should be disposed of down the toilet is being questioned.

Read more on BBC

People with symptoms who need to leave the house "should wear a face mask where possible, wash your hands regularly and use dispose of tissues hygienically."

Read more on BBC

Depositing an inordinate amount of bins around town is just not the way to encourage people to properly dispose of their organic waste, he said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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