Uncollar

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To take the collar off an animal or person ; to release someone or something from the restraint that a collar represents
2. Removing the neckband from a dog or other animal ; freeing a captive or restrained creature by taking away its collar
3. To strip the collar from a creature's neck ; to set loose something that has been held by a collar or similar tether

Etymology: "Uncollar" is a plain compound: the prefix "un-", meaning "reverse" or "remove," attached to "collar." Its meaning is simply to take the collar off something, most often an animal such as a dog or horse, or to free a person or thing from a neck-fitting of any kind. The prefix does the real work here. English has long built pairs like this, so "uncollar" follows the same pattern as "unbutton," "unhook," and "unbridle," with each verb reversing the action named by its base word. The "un-" in these formations comes from Old English "on-," which was used to reverse actions in the same way, and the word is a straightforward combination of the two parts rather than a borrowing.

Synonyms: unleash, unchain, release

Antonyms: collar, leash, chain