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| re·pel [ ri pél ] (past and past participle re·pelled, present participle re·pel·ling, 3rd person present singular re·pels) |
verb |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive and intransitive verb cause great distaste: to make somebody feel intense aversion, disgust, or revulsion
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2. transitive verb keep something away: to ward something off, or keep something away
  a cream that is effective in repelling mosquitoes
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3. transitive verb resist attack: to ward off or force back an attack or invasion
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4. transitive and intransitive verb fail to mix: to fail to mix or blend with something else
Oil and water repel each other.
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5. transitive and intransitive verb physics exert opposing force: to exert a force that tends to push something away
Particles of like charge repel each other.
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6. transitive verb spurn somebody or something: to reject or refuse to accept something or somebody
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| [15th century. Via French< Latin repellere "drive back" < pellere "to drive"] |
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| re·pel·ler noun |
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