disable
verbadjectiveattested in dialogue
- //dɪsˈeɪbəl//
- //dɪzˈeɪbəl//
To render unable; to take away an ability of, as by crippling.
verb
- 1
To render unable; to take away an ability of, as by crippling.
- 2
To impair the physical or mental abilities of; to cause a serious, permanent injury.
Falling off the horse disabled him.
Krav is a martial art of last resort that assumes no quarter and focuses purely on disarming, disabling and, if necessary, destroying your opponent.
Fire ants circumvented the problem of an ineffective sting by having an unusual and highly effective venom that when daubed or sprayed on other ants penetrates their waxy protective integumental barrier and kills or disables them.
- 3
To deactivate, to make inoperational (especially of a function of an electronic or mechanical device).
The pilot had to disable the autopilot of his airplane.
At the end of March 2015 the onboard software configuration of the AGILE satellite was modified in order to disable the veto signal of the anticoincidence shield for the minicalorimeter instrument.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dis- Old French des-bor. ▲ Latin dis-bor. Middle English dis- English dis- Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti Proto-Indo-European *gʰh₁bʰéh₁yeti Proto-Italic *haβēō Latin habeō Proto-Indo-European *-elis Proto-Italic *-elis Latin -ilis Latin habilis Old French ablebor. Middle English able English able English disable From dis- + able.
adjective
- 1
obsoleteLacking ability; unable.
Our disable and unactive force.
Forms
- comparative
- more disable
- superlative
- most disable
- past tense
- disabled
- past participle
- disabled
- present participle
- disabling
- third person singular
- disables
disable · To render unable; to take away an ability of, as by crippling.
disabled · Made incapable of use or action.disadvantage · A weakness or undesirable characteristic; con; drawback.disagree · To fail to agree; to have a different opinion or belief.