discharge

Pronunciation

• (UK)
  • (verb) IPA ^(key): /dɪsˈtʃɑːdʒ/

    • Audio (UK)

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  • (noun) IPA ^(key): /ˈdɪstʃɑːdʒ/

    • Audio (UK)

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• (US)
  • (verb) enPR: dĭschärj', IPA ^(key): /dɪsˈtʃɑrdʒ/
  • (noun) enPR: dĭs'chärj, IPA ^(key): /ˈdɪstʃɑrdʒ/

    • Audio (US)

      (file)

Verb

Plain form discharge

Third-person singular discharges

Past tense discharged

Past participle discharged

Present participle discharging

1. To discharge something is to release it or let it go, especially all at once.

   Discharging steam prevented pressure from building.

2. When a gun goes off, it is said to discharge.

   He took aim and discharged his gun.

   No one knew the gun was loaded until it accidentally discharged.

   He said "I fired the gun"; the report said "he discharged the weapon."

3. When you are discharged, you are allowed to leave.

   I was honorably discharged at the end of the war.

   Her doctor said she could go home, so she was discharged from the hospital.

4. When a debt or obligation is been met or is ended, it is discharged.

   We made the last payment, and the loan was discharged.

   The rest of her student loan debt was discharged after she was injured.

5. Discharge is the opposite of charge for things like batteries and reservoirs.

   I forgot to plug in my phone and the battery totally discharged.

Noun

Singular discharge

Plural discharges

1. The act of discharging is also called a discharge.

   There was a discharge of steam when he opened the oven door.

   The cannon discharge scared the boy.

2. Something released (in a discharge) is also called a discharge.

   The puddle of water was discharge from the pump, not from a leak in the pipe.

3. (medicine) A discharge is a substance (other than blood) coming from a wound or part of your body, usually because of infection.

   There was a discharge coming from the wound.