English Dictionary
Definition of “detach”
detach (dɪˈtætʃ
)
Definitions
verb (tr)
- to disengage and separate or remove, as by pulling; unfasten; disconnect
- military to separate (a small unit) from a larger, esp for a special assignment
Alternative Forms
deˈtachable adjective deˌtachaˈbility noun deˈtacher noun Word Origin
C17: from Old French destachier, from des- dis-C17: from Old French from 1 + to + attachier to attach
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
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separate,
free,
remove,
divide,
isolate,
cut off,
sever,
loosen,
segregate,
disconnect,
tear off,
disengage,
disentangle,
unfasten,
disunite,
uncouple,
unhitch,
disjoin,
unbridle,
Usage examples
Before he could feign nonchalance, detach himself from Laura and greet his daughter, the figure had upped and gone.
Martin, Joy, The Image of Laura (1993)Such charges are normally used to detach items no longer needed by spacecraft, such as exhausted fuel tanks or protective fairings.
New Scientist (2003)The way guys mooch, demand, detach , walk out the door or languish on the couch smoking pot.
Globe and Mail (2003)`I look an idiot in my jodhpurs but I need to detach myself from work.
Sun, News of the World (2004)Those priests or religious who joined the Better World Movement did not detach themselves from their own religious orders or dioceses.
Hebblethwaite, Peter, Paul VI - The First Modern Pope (1993)
