Library / English Dictionary

CONSIGN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Give over to another for care or safekeeping

Example:

consign your baggage

Synonyms:

charge; consign

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "consign" is one way to...):

commit; confide; entrust; intrust; trust (confer a trust upon)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "consign"):

pledge (give as a guarantee)

hock; pawn; soak (leave as a guarantee in return for money)

check (hand over something to somebody as for temporary safekeeping)

check (consign for shipment on a vehicle)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something to somebody

Derivation:

consignee (the person to whom merchandise is delivered over)

consigner (the person who delivers over or commits merchandise)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Commit forever; commit irrevocably

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "consign" is one way to...):

abandon (forsake, leave behind)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

consignment (the official act of consigning a person to confinement (as in a prison or mental hospital))

consignor (the person who delivers over or commits merchandise)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Send to an address

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "consign" is one way to...):

deliver (bring to a destination, make a delivery)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

consignment (the delivery of goods for sale or disposal)

Credits

 Context examples: 

In the meantime, sir, said Mr. Chillip, they are much disliked; and as they are very free in consigning everybody who dislikes them to perdition, we really have a good deal of perdition going on in our neighbourhood!

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Though I could almost have consigned her to the mercies of the wind on the topmost pinnacle of the Cathedral, without remorse, I made a virtue of necessity, and gave her a friendly salutation.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

I rarely heard from Miss Murdstone, and never from Mr. Murdstone: but two or three parcels of made or mended clothes had come up for me, consigned to Mr. Quinion, and in each there was a scrap of paper to the effect that J.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

It may be expected that on the eve of a migration which will consign us to a perfectly new existence, Mr. Micawber spoke as if they were going five hundred thousand miles, I should offer a few valedictory remarks to two such friends as I see before me.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)