from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Dispatch \Dis*patch"\ (?; 224), v. t. [imp. & p. p.
{Dispatched}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Dispatching}.] [OF.
despeechier, F. d['e]p[^e]cher; prob. from pref. des- (L.
dis-) + (assumed) LL. pedicare to place obstacles in the way,
fr. L. pedica fetter, fr. pes, pedis, foot. See {Foot}, and
cf. {Impeach}, {Despatch}.] [Written also {despatch}.]
1. To dispose of speedily, as business; to execute quickly;
to make a speedy end of; to finish; to perform.
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Ere we put ourselves in arms, dispatch we
The business we have talked of. --Shak.
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[The] harvest men . . . almost in one fair day
dispatcheth all the harvest work. --Robynson
(More's
Utopia).
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2. To rid; to free. [Obs.]
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I had clean dispatched myself of this great charge.
--Udall.
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3. To get rid of by sending off; to send away hastily.
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Unless dispatched to the mansion house in the
country . . . they perish among the lumber of
garrets. --Walpole.
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4. To send off or away; -- particularly applied to sending
off messengers, messages, letters, etc., on special
business, and implying haste.
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Even with the speediest expedition
I will dispatch him to the emperor's cou??. --Shak.
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5. To send out of the world; to put to death.
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The company shall stone them with stones, and
dispatch them with their swords. --Ezek. xxiii.
47.
Syn: To expedite; hasten; speed; accelerate; perform;
conclude; finish; slay; kill.
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