Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense disconnects, present participle disconnecting, past tense, past participle disconnected
1. verb
To disconnect a piece of equipment means to separate it from its source of power or to break a connection that it needs in order to work.
The device automatically disconnects the ignition when the engine is switched off. [VERB noun]
Vicky Brown arrived home to find the men disconnecting her microwave. [VERB noun]
She ran back to the phone. The line had been disconnected. [beVERB-ed]
Synonyms: deactivate, shut down, turn off, switch off More Synonyms of disconnect
2. verb [usually passive]
If you are disconnected by a gas, electricity, water, or telephone company, they turn off the connection to your house, usually because you have not paid the bill.
You will be given three months to pay before you are disconnected. [beVERB-ed]
3. verb
If you disconnect something from something else, you separate the two things.
He disconnected the IV bottle from the overhead hook. [VERB noun + from]
Synonyms: detach, separate, undo, part More Synonyms of disconnect
More Synonyms of disconnect
disconnect in British English
(ˌdɪskəˈnɛkt)
verb
1. (transitive)
to undo or break the connection of or between (something, such as a plug and a socket)
noun
2.
a lack of a connection; disconnection
a disconnect between political discourse and the public
Derived forms
disconnecter (ˌdisconˈnecter)
noun
disconnection (ˌdisconˈnection) or disconnexion (ˌdisconˈnexion)
noun
disconnective (ˌdisconˈnective)
adjective
disconnect in American English
(ˌdɪskəˈnɛkt; ˈdɪskəˌnɛkt)
verb transitive
1.
to break or undo the connection of; separate, detach, unplug, etc.
verb intransitive
2.
to become disconnected
noun
3.
a disconnection, as in an electrical system
4. Informal
a lack of communication or compatibility
a disconnect between her beliefs and her behavior
Derived forms
disconnection (ˌdisconˈnection)
noun
Examples of 'disconnect' in a sentence
disconnect
It makes to another space almost disconnected how much work but I am connected quality of the work produce.
The Sun (2017)
Inflation expectations are now completely disconnected from central bank policy or influence.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Those who fight wars from portable buildings on the other side of the world will be disconnected.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It felt as though it had been totally disconnected.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
It clips easily onto the battery terminals without the need to disconnect the battery.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
That is not to deny some young people are disconnected from society.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Your gas might be disconnected or your washing machine repossessed.
Tondeur, Keith Say Goodbye to Debt (1994)
Ofgem will also introduce guidance to clarify when households found stealing gas should be disconnected.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
These meetings occur in an environment of a divided and disconnected world that is facing significant policy dilemmas.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Serious site clearance finally got under way three years ago with electricity supplies disconnected and families forcibly moved.
The Sun (2014)
To some, this inability to disconnect from work might sound like hell.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
That's not to say he is completely disconnected from rising energy costs.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
He is completely disconnected from the real world, pursuing a particular path.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
But he felt' completely disconnected from it.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The artwork seemed so disconnected from the world: it seemed to belong to another time.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Symptoms include feeling tearful, withdrawn and disconnected from the world.
The Sun (2008)
Cops had been called in January to disconnect electricity from homes accused of stealing power and gas.
The Sun (2014)
With your radio security code to hand, disconnect the car battery.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
First, disconnect the negative battery terminal to avoid any risk of you causing further electrical damage.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
I felt completely disconnected from the outside world.
Carlos Acosta No Way Home: A Cuban Dancer's Tale (2007)
Plus, it's a way of connecting with other people in what seems an increasingly fragmented world of disconnect.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Watching the hometown team remains one point of connection in an increasingly disconnected world, in a culture where no one seems to live where they were raised.
Christianity Today (2000)
In other languages
disconnect
British English: disconnect /ˌdɪskəˈnɛkt/ VERB
To disconnect a piece of equipment means to separate it from its source of power.
Complete peace and quiet may mean disconnecting the telephone for a while.
American English: disconnect
Arabic: يَفْصِلُ
Brazilian Portuguese: desconectar
Chinese: 脱开
Croatian: isključiti
Czech: odpojit
Danish: afbryde
Dutch: afsluiten stroom
European Spanish: desconectar
Finnish: irrottaa toisistaan
French: déconnecter
German: trennen
Greek: αποσυνδέω
Italian: sconnettere
Japanese: 接続を断つ
Korean: 분리하다
Norwegian: kople ut
Polish: rozłączyć
European Portuguese: desligar
Romanian: a deconecta
Russian: разъединять
Latin American Spanish: desconectar desenchufar
Swedish: avbryta
Thai: ตัดขาดจากกัน
Turkish: kesilmek bağlantı
Ukrainian: відключати
Vietnamese: ngắt ra
Chinese translation of 'disconnect'
disconnect
(dɪskəˈnɛkt)
vt
[pipe, tap, hose]拆开(開) (chāikāi)
[computer, cooker, TV]断(斷)开(開) (duànkāi)
to be disconnected (for non-payment of bill) 被切断(斷) (bèi qiēduàn) (during telephone conversation) 被中断(斷) (bèi zhōngduàn)
1 (verb)
Definition
to stop the supply of (gas or electricity to a building)
The device automatically disconnects the ignition.
Synonyms
deactivate
shut down
turn off
switch off
Thankfully, I've learned to switch off and let it go over my head.
close or shut off
2 (verb)
Definition
to stop the supply of (gas or electricity to a building)
The company has disconnected our electricity for non-payment.
Synonyms
cut off
stop
3 (verb)
Definition
to undo or break the connection between (two things)
He disconnected the bottle from the overhead hook.
Synonyms
detach
Detach the bottom part from the form and keep it for reference.
separate
Separate the garlic into cloves.
undo
I managed to undo a corner of the parcel.
part
The clouds parted and a shaft of sunlight broke through.
She parted the bushes with her stick.
divide
the artificial line that divided the city
sever
Oil was still gushing from the severed fuel line.
disengage
More vigorous action is needed to force the army to disengage.
take apart
unhook
unfasten
Reaching down, he unfastened the latch on the gate.
uncouple
unhitch
4 (verb)
The call was disconnected.
Synonyms
break off
suspend
The union suspended strike action this week.
interrupt
We interrupted our holiday to return to London.
terminate
Additional synonyms
in the sense of disengage
Definition
to withdraw from close action
More vigorous action is needed to force the army to disengage.