dispatch

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dis·patch

also des·patch (dĭ-spăch′)

tr.v. dis·patched, dis·patch·ing, dis·patch·es also des·patched or des·patch·ing or des·patch·es

1. To relegate to a specific destination or send on specific business. See Synonyms at send¹.

a. To complete, transact, or dispose of promptly: dispatch an errand.

b. To eat up (food); finish off (a dish or meal).

3. To put to death summarily.

1. The act of sending off, as to a specific destination.

2. Dismissal or rejection of something regarded as unimportant or unworthy of consideration: "[his] breezy dispatch of another Establishment fiction writer" (Christopher Hitchens).

3. The act of putting to death.

4. Speed in performance or movement. See Synonyms at haste.

5. (also dĭs′păch′)

a. A written message, particularly an official communication, sent with speed.

b. An important message sent by a diplomat or an officer in the armed forces.

c. A news item sent to a news organization, as by a correspondent.

[Spanish despachar or Italian dispacciare, both probably ultimately from Old Provençal empachar, to impede, from Vulgar Latin *impāctāre, frequentative of Latin impingere, to dash against; see impinge.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

dispatch

(dɪˈspætʃ) or

despatch

vb (tr)

1. to send off promptly, as to a destination or to perform a task

2. to discharge or complete (a task, duty, etc) promptly

3. informal to eat up quickly

4. to murder or execute

5. (Communications & Information) the act of sending off a letter, messenger, etc

6. prompt action or speed (often in the phrase with dispatch)

7. (Communications & Information) an official communication or report, sent in haste

8. (Journalism & Publishing) journalism a report sent to a newspaper, etc, by a correspondent

9. murder or execution

[C16: from Italian dispacciare, from Provençal despachar, from Old French despeechier to set free, from des- dis-¹ + -peechier, ultimately from Latin pedica a fetter]

disˈpatcher n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

dis•patch

(dɪˈspætʃ)

v.t.

1. to send off or away with speed, as a messenger, telegram, or body of troops.

2. to put to death; kill.

3. to transact or dispose of (a matter) promptly or speedily.

v.i.

4. Archaic. to hasten; be quick.

5. the sending off of a messenger, letter, etc.

6. the act of putting to death; execution.

7. prompt or speedy action.

8. a message or official communication sent with speed, esp. by special messenger.

9. a news story transmitted to a newspaper by a reporter, wire service, etc.

[1510–20; < Italian dispacciare to hasten, or < Sp despachar both ultimately < Old French despeechier to unshackle]

dispatch

Past participle: dispatched
Gerund: dispatching

Imperative
dispatch
dispatch

Present
I dispatch
you dispatch
he/she/it dispatches
we dispatch
you dispatch
they dispatch

Preterite
I dispatched
you dispatched
he/she/it dispatched
we dispatched
you dispatched
they dispatched

Present Continuous
I am dispatching
you are dispatching
he/she/it is dispatching
we are dispatching
you are dispatching
they are dispatching

Present Perfect
I have dispatched
you have dispatched
he/she/it has dispatched
we have dispatched
you have dispatched
they have dispatched

Past Continuous
I was dispatching
you were dispatching
he/she/it was dispatching
we were dispatching
you were dispatching
they were dispatching

Past Perfect
I had dispatched
you had dispatched
he/she/it had dispatched
we had dispatched
you had dispatched
they had dispatched

Future
I will dispatch
you will dispatch
he/she/it will dispatch
we will dispatch
you will dispatch
they will dispatch

Future Perfect
I will have dispatched
you will have dispatched
he/she/it will have dispatched
we will have dispatched
you will have dispatched
they will have dispatched

Future Continuous
I will be dispatching
you will be dispatching
he/she/it will be dispatching
we will be dispatching
you will be dispatching
they will be dispatching

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been dispatching
you have been dispatching
he/she/it has been dispatching
we have been dispatching
you have been dispatching
they have been dispatching

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been dispatching
you will have been dispatching
he/she/it will have been dispatching
we will have been dispatching
you will have been dispatching
they will have been dispatching

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been dispatching
you had been dispatching
he/she/it had been dispatching
we had been dispatching
you had been dispatching
they had been dispatching

Conditional
I would dispatch
you would dispatch
he/she/it would dispatch
we would dispatch
you would dispatch
they would dispatch

Past Conditional
I would have dispatched
you would have dispatched
he/she/it would have dispatched
we would have dispatched
you would have dispatched
they would have dispatched

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	dispatch - an official report (usually sent in haste) communique, despatch dateline - a line at the beginning of a news article giving the date and place of origin of the news dispatch news report, write up, account, report, story - a short account of the news; "the report of his speech"; "the story was on the 11 o'clock news"; "the account of his speech that was given on the evening news made the governor furious"
	2.	dispatch - the act of sending off something shipment, despatch departure, going, going away, leaving - the act of departing reshipment - the act of shipping again (especially by transferring to another ship)
	3.	dispatch - the property of being prompt and efficient; "it was done with dispatch" expeditiousness, despatch, expedition celerity, rapidity, rapidness, speediness, quickness - a rate that is rapid
	4.	dispatch - killing a person or animal despatch kill, putting to death, killing - the act of terminating a life
Verb	1.	dispatch - send away towards a designated goal despatch, send off ship, transport, send - transport commercially bundle off - send off unceremoniously route - send documents or materials to appropriate destinations
	2.	dispatch - complete or carry out; "discharge one's duties" discharge, complete accomplish, carry out, carry through, fulfil, fulfill, action, execute - put in effect; "carry out a task"; "execute the decision of the people"; "He actioned the operation"
	3.	dispatch - kill intentionally and with premeditation; "The mafia boss ordered his enemies murdered" murder, off, bump off, slay, polish off, remove, hit kill - cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly; "This man killed several people when he tried to rob a bank"; "The farmer killed a pig for the holidays" burke - murder without leaving a trace on the body execute - murder in a planned fashion; "The Mafioso who collaborated with the police was executed"
	4.	dispatch - dispose of rapidly and without delay and efficiently; "He dispatched the task he was assigned" act, move - perform an action, or work out or perform (an action); "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel"
	5.	dispatch - kill without delay; "the traitor was dispatched by the conspirators" kill - cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly; "This man killed several people when he tried to rob a bank"; "The farmer killed a pig for the holidays"

dispatch

despatch

verb

1. send, transmit, forward, express, communicate, consign, remit He dispatched a telegram.

2. kill, murder, destroy, do in (slang), eliminate (slang), take out (slang), execute, butcher, slaughter, assassinate, slay, finish off, put an end to, do away with, blow away (slang, chiefly U.S.), liquidate, annihilate, exterminate, take (someone's) life, bump off (slang) They may catch him and dispatch him immediately.

3. carry out, perform, fulfil, effect, finish, achieve, settle, dismiss, conclude, accomplish, execute, discharge, dispose of, expedite, make short work of (informal) He dispatched his business.

noun

1. sending, transmission, forwarding, communication, consignment, remittance The parcel is ready for dispatch.

2. message, news, report, story, letter, account, piece, item, document, communication, instruction, bulletin, communiqué, missive This dispatch from our West Africa correspondent.

3. speed, haste, promptness, alacrity, rapidity, quickness, swiftness, briskness, expedition, celerity, promptitude, precipitateness He feels we should act with despatch.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

dispatch

verb

1. To cause (something) to be conveyed to a destination:

address, consign, forward, route, send, ship, transmit.

2. To eat completely or entirely:

consume, devour, eat up.

Informal: polish off, put away.

3. To cause the death of:

carry off, cut down, cut off, destroy, finish (off), kill, slay.

Slang: waste, zap.

Idioms: put an end to, put to sleep.

noun

Rapidness of movement or activity:

celerity, expedition, expeditiousness, fleetness, haste, hurry, hustle, quickness, rapidity, rapidness, speed, speediness, swiftness.

Translations

Spanish / Español

Select a language:

envío despacho enviar expedición informe

dispatch

[dɪsˈpætʃ]

A. N

1. (= sending) [of person] → envío m; [of goods] → envío m, expedición f

2. (= report) (in press) → reportaje m, informe m; (= message) → despacho m (Mil) → parte m, comunicado m
to be mentioned in dispatches (Mil) → recibir menciones de elogio (por su valor en combate)

3. (= promptness) (frm) → celeridad f, prontitud f

B. VT

1. (= send) [+ letter, goods] → enviar, expedir; [+ messenger, troops] → enviar

2. (= deal with) [+ business] → despachar

3. (= carry out) [+ duty] → ejercer, realizar

4. (hum) (= eat) [+ food] → despachar

5. (= kill) → despachar

C. CPD dispatch box N (Brit) → cartera f
dispatch case N → portafolios m inv
dispatch department N → departamento m de envíos
dispatch documents NPL → documentos mpl de envío
dispatch note N → nota f de envío, nota f de expedición
dispatch rider N (= motorcyclist) → mensajero/a m/f (con moto); (= horseman) → correo m (Mil) → correo m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

dispatch

(diˈspӕtʃ) verb

1. to send off. He dispatched several letters asking for financial help.enviar, remitir

2. to finish off or deal with quickly. She dispatched several pieces of business within the hour.despachar

noun

1. a written official report. a dispatch from the commanding officer.informe

2. an act of sending away. envío

3. haste. rapidez

dispatch rider

a carrier of military dispatches by motor-cycle. mensajero

References in classic literature ?

AFFECTED dispatch is one of the most dangerous things to business that can be.

Long and curious speeches, are as fit for dispatch, as a robe or mantle, with a long train, is for race.

View in context

The president tore open the envelope, read the dispatch, and, despite his remarkable powers of self-control, his lips turned pale and his eyes grew dim, on reading the twenty words of this telegram.

Here is the text of the dispatch, which figures now in the archives of the Gun Club:

View in context

Athos took from an embroidered velvet bag which he carried under his doublet a dispatch. The cardinal held out his hand for it.

Athos replaced his dispatch in its bag, bowed gravely, and made several steps towards the door.

View in context

Despite his apparently delicate build Prince Andrew could endure physical fatigue far better than many very muscular men, and on the night of the battle, having arrived at Krems excited but not weary, with dispatches from Dokhturov to Kutuzov, he was sent immediately with a special dispatch to Brunn.

View in context

Wilcome was in the act of reading the premature dispatch, in which J.

View in context

The commissioner of police was sitting in his office at nine o'clock one evening, when the following telegraphic dispatch was put into his hands: Suez to London.

View in context

The necessities of the camp at length became so urgent that Captain Bonneville determined to dispatch a party to the Horse Prairie, a plain to the north of his cantonment, to procure a supply of provisions.

View in context

When that occurred, I was trying to make my way with important dispatches to Fort C.

View in context

About one-eighth of the whole being reserved for the use of the Ti itself, the remainder was divided into numerous smaller packages, which were immediately dispatched in every direction to the remotest parts of the valley.

View in context

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