Discharge

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /dɪsˈtʃɑːdʒ/

Definitions

1. To release or let out a substance, person, or energy from a contained or confined state
2. To release or emit a substance, individual, or energy from an enclosed space or a position of control
3. To allow or cause something to flow out or be emitted ; to officially end someone's service or responsibility and send them away ; to carry out a duty or complete a required action ; a material or fluid that comes out from a person, animal, or object

Etymology: The verb has a literal, almost mechanical origin: Old French "deschargier" meant "to unload," a cargo term. It was built from Late Latin "discarricāre," where "dis-" reverses the action and "carricāre" means to load a cart, from Latin "carrus," a wheeled vehicle. So at its root, to discharge a ship or wagon was to take its burden off, the opposite of loading it. Over time the idea of removing a load widened. English speakers carried it from ships and carts to guns, which were "discharged" by firing, and then to batteries, electricity, and wounds that drain. The same logic let the word move from releasing cargo to releasing people, as when a prisoner or soldier is dismissed from service, and from unloading physical goods to releasing a duty or obligation, as when a debt is discharged.

Synonyms: release, dismissal, excretion, expulsion

Antonyms: retention, confinement, detention