Library / English Dictionary

DESPATCH

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of sending off something

Synonyms:

despatch; dispatch; shipment

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("despatch" is a kind of...):

departure; going; going away; leaving (the act of departing)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "despatch"):

reshipment (the act of shipping again (especially by transferring to another ship))

Derivation:

despatch (send away towards a designated goal)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Killing a person or animal

Synonyms:

despatch; dispatch

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("despatch" is a kind of...):

kill; killing; putting to death (the act of terminating a life)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The property of being prompt and efficient

Example:

it was done with dispatch

Synonyms:

despatch; dispatch; expedition; expeditiousness

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("despatch" is a kind of...):

celerity; quickness; rapidity; rapidness; speediness (a rate that is rapid)

Sense 4

Meaning:

An official report (usually sent in haste)

Synonyms:

communique; despatch; dispatch

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("despatch" is a kind of...):

account; news report; report; story; write up (a short account of the news)

Meronyms (parts of "despatch"):

dateline (a line at the beginning of a news article giving the date and place of origin of the news dispatch)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Send away towards a designated goal

Synonyms:

despatch; dispatch; send off

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

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

send; ship; transport (transport commercially)

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

bundle off (send off unceremoniously)

route (send documents or materials to appropriate destinations)

Sentence frames:

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

Derivation:

despatch (the act of sending off something)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Then he tried, as an experiment, a short story, and before he broke his stride he had finished six short stories and despatched them to various magazines.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Yes, sir, a cipher telegram has been despatched.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But, as I afterwards learned, their conversation was to be about myself and my own prospects, so I was despatched to my room, whence far into the night I could hear the deep growl of my father and the rich tones of my uncle, with an occasional gentle murmur from my mother, as they talked in the room beneath.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

As far as I know, there have been only three accounts in the public press: that in the Journal de Genève on May 6th, 1891, the Reuter’s despatch in the English papers on May 7th, and finally the recent letter to which I have alluded.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I will remand the order I despatched to my banker.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Perrault was carrying despatches if anything more urgent than those he had brought in; also, the travel pride had gripped him, and he purposed to make the record trip of the year.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

Since it was to be done, let it be done with despatch.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Your letter home has been despatched; to-morrow I shall not be here, but all shall be ready for your journey.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

The letter despatched to the letter-box by Teresa, Martin lay back and thought.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Emma, on reaching home, called the housekeeper directly, to an examination of her stores; and some arrowroot of very superior quality was speedily despatched to Miss Bates with a most friendly note.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)