Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To release from something that holds fast, connects, or entangles. synonym: extricate.
  • intransitive verb To release (oneself) from an engagement, pledge, or obligation.
  • intransitive verb To free or detach oneself; withdraw.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To set free or release from pledge or engagement; release from promise, engagement, or vow.
  • To release or set free from union, attachment, or connection; detach; loosen or unfasten, and set free; release: as, to disengage a metal from its gangue, or a garment from a clinging bramble; to disengage the mind from study.
  • In fencing, to carry or pass the point of (the weapon) from one side to the other over or under the adversary's, when the previous relative position or engagement of the blades is to the opponent's advantage. The movement is executed by describing with the point of the weapon a very small circle. Rolando (ed. Forsyth).
  • To withdraw; become separated.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To release from that with which anything is engaged, engrossed, involved, or entangled; to extricate; to detach; to set free; to liberate; to clear
  • intransitive verb To release one's self; to become detached; to free one's self.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun fencing A circular movement of the blade that avoids the opponent's parry
  • verb To release or loosen from something that binds, holds, entangles, or interlocks; unfasten; detach; disentangle; free.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb release from something that holds fast, connects, or entangles
  • verb free or remove obstruction from
  • verb become free

Etymologies

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Examples

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  • Noun: in fencing, the act of disengaging or reversing the relative position of the blades, so as to free one's own for a thrust. A deceptive maneuver intended to change the line of engagement.

    February 6, 2007

  • "To release or set free from union, attachment, or connection; detach; loosen or unfasten, and set free; release: as, to disengage a metal from its gangue, or a garment from a clinging bramble; to disengage the mind from study."

    -- CD&C

    February 22, 2013