Library / English Dictionary

DISABLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Injure permanently

Example:

He was disabled in a car accident

Synonyms:

disable; handicap; incapacitate; invalid

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

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

injure; wound (cause injuries or bodily harm to)

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

hock (disable by cutting the hock)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

disablement (the condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental unfitness)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make unable to perform a certain action

Example:

disable this command on your computer

Synonyms:

disable; disenable; incapacitate

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

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

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

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

lay up (disable or confine, as with an illness)

nobble (disable by drugging)

pinion (cut the wings off (of birds))

confine; constrain; hold; restrain (to close within bounds, or otherwise limit or deprive of free movement)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Antonym:

enable (render capable or able for some task)

Derivation:

disablement (the condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental unfitness)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Nursing includes the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people.

(Nursing, NCI Thesaurus)

Others cases are disabling and severe.

(Muscular Dystrophy, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Mobility aids help you walk or move from place to place if you are disabled or have an injury.

(Mobility Aids, NIH)

People over 65 years old, younger disabled people, and dialysis patients are eligible for the program regardless of their income.

(Medicare, NCI Thesaurus)

After intracellular uptake, mericitabine is phosphorylated into two active triphosphate metabolites, which disable HCV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (non-structural protein 5B; NS5B) upon binding.

(Mericitabine, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes disabled homolog 2 protein, plays a role in the inhibition of cell proliferation.

(DAB2 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes disabled homolog 2-interacting protein, may be involved in tumor suppression.

(DAB2IP wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

Examples include children, the elderly, or patients who have chronic illnesses or are disabled.

(Caregiver, NCI Dictionary)

Schizophrenia is a severe and disabling brain disorder that usually strikes during young adulthood and lasts a lifetime.

(Over 100 Genetic Sites Tied to Schizophrenia, NIH)

Dr Susan Kohlhaas, Director of Research at the MS Society, said: MS is relentless, painful, and disabling, and treatments that can slow and prevent the accumulation of disability over time are desperately needed.

(Cambridge scientists reverse ageing process in rat brain stem cells, University of Cambridge)