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| dis·man·tle [ diss mánt'l ] (past and past participle dis·man·tled, present participle dis·man·tling, 3rd person present singular dis·man·tles) |
verb |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive verb break something down into parts: to take something apart in a way that causes it to stop working
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2. intransitive verb come apart: to be able to be separated into components
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3. transitive verb destroy something by removing key elements: to destroy something such as an institution or system by removing essential parts
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4. transitive verb empty place of equipment: to strip a room or building of furniture or equipment
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| [Late 16th century. < Old French desmanteler "tear down a fortress wall" < emmanteler "shelter, fortify" < mantel "cloak" (see mantle)] |
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  dis·man·tle·ment noun |
| dis·man·tler noun |
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