Posted by John Nichols on November 03, 2004 at 22:20:52 from 165.91.196.110 user Mcneacail.
In Reply to: Re: despatch or dispatch posted by John Nichols on November 03, 2004 at 22:18:55:
Adverb use.
I. trans.
* To dismiss or dispose of promptly.
1. To send off post-haste or with expedition or promptitude (a messenger, message, etc., having an express destination). The word regularly used for the sending of official messengers, and messages, of couriers, troops, mails, telegrams, parcels, express trains, packet-boats, etc.
1517 BP. TUNSTALL Let. to Hen. VIII in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. I. I. 134 We..dispached that poste..reservyng thys to be written by my selff at laysor. 1585 T. WASHINGTON tr. Nicholay's Voy. III. viii. 82 If..the great Lord hath to send and dispatch in hast any matter into any places. 1600 E. BLOUNT tr. Conestaggio 21 He..dispatched fower coronels throughout his Realme of Portugall, to levie twelve thousand foote. 1624 DAVENPORT City Night-Cap III. i, Embassadors were dispatch'd to Bergamo. 1751 JOHNSON Rambler No. 153 3, I was in my eighteenth year dispatched to the university. 1766 GOLDSM. Vic. W. ix, Moses was..dispatched to borrow a couple of chairs. 1840 Penny Cycl. XVIII. 459/2 The number of chargeable letters dispatched by the General Post. 1875 F. HALL in Lippincott's Mag. XVI. 749/1 The palanquin, as being portable and easy to handle, was dispatched first, its contents included.
1832 LANDER Exped. to Niger I. vii. 259 They had been despatched..from Soccatoo to collect the accustomed tribute. 1874 GREEN Short Hist. vi. §5. 319 Commissioners were despatched into every county for the purpose of assessment. 1886 Postal Guide 210 When the mails are despatched at longer intervals than a week.
fig. 1655 H. VAUGHAN Silex Scint. I. (1858) 23, I turn'd me round, and to each shade Dispatch'd an Eye. 1781 COWPER Conv. 437 The mind, dispatched upon her busy toil, Should range where Providence has blest the soil.
b. refl. To get away quickly: = sense 8. rare.
1632 J. HAYWARD tr. Biondi's Eromena 180 Though he were desirous to dispatch himselfe thence, yet waited he with all patience.
2. To send away (from one's presence or employment); to dismiss, discharge. Obs.
a1533 LD. BERNERS Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) Lvj, As an ydell vacabunde man they dyspatched and sent hym awaie. 1632 LITHGOW Trav. IX. 380, I dispatched my Dragoman, and the other Barbarian hireling, with a greater consideration then my..conditions allowed me. 1662 Grim, Collier of Croydon III. in Ant. Brit. Drama III. 312 To give her warning to dispatch her knaves.
3. To dismiss (a person) after attending to him or his business; to settle the business of and send away; to get rid of. Now rare.
1530 PALSGR. 520/1, I have dispatched these four felowes quickly, jay despeché ces quattre galans vistement. 1551 in Furnivall Ballads from MSS. I. 421 Remembre poore shewters who dothe susteyne wronge; speake and dispatche them, they tarrye to longe. a1625 BOYS Wks. (1630) 382 And I can say this of other suitors, if ten be dispatched ninety be despited. 1670 G. H. Hist. Cardinals II. III. 198 Dispatching all that came to him with great satisfaction. 1726 Adv. Capt. R. Boyle 171 Nor would I suffer another to enter my Ship, till the former was dispatch'd.
1874 MORLEY Compromise (1886) 132 Finally we may be despatched with a eulogy of caution and a censure of too great heat after certainty.
4. To get rid of or dispose of (any one) by putting to death; to make away with, kill.
1530 Proper Dyaloge (Arb.) 146 Duke Humfray By them of his lyfe was abreuiate. Sythe that tyme I could recken mo Whom they caused to be dispatched so. 1568 GRAFTON Chron. II. 1329 He drowned himselfe..the river beyng so shallow that he was faine to lye grovelyng before he could dispatch himselfe. 1580 NORTH Plutarch 112 (R.) He drank..poyson, which dispatcheth a man in 24 hours. 1607 SHAKES. Cor. III. i. 286 We are peremptory to dispatch This Viporous Traitor. 1611 BIBLE Ezek. xxiii. 47 The companie shall..dispatch [1885 R.V. despatch] them with their swords. 1678 BUNYAN Pilgr. (ed. 2, 1847) I. 140 Show them the Bones and Skulls of those that thou hast already dispatch'd. 1726 Adv. Capt. R. Boyle 68 If he had made any Resistance, I should certainly have dispatch'd him. 1819 SHELLEY Cyclops 446 You think by some measure to dispatch him. 1859 THACKERAY Virgin. xxi. 162 Heroes are not dispatched with such hurry and violence unless there is a cogent reason for making away with them.
1848 A. JAMESON Sacr. & Leg. Art (1850) 419 And then after many torments despatched with a dagger. 1879 FROUDE Cæsar xviii. 304 Clodius was dragged out bleeding, and was despatched.
b. (with complement.) to dispatch out of life, out of the way, the world, etc. ? Obs.
1580 BARET Alv. D. 884 To dispatch one out of life, de medio aliquem tollere. 1697 POTTER Antiq. Greece I. iv. (1715) 17 [He] was quickly dispatch'd out of the way, and no enquiry made after the Murderers. a1745 SWIFT Hist. Stephen in Lett. (1768) IV. 313 To remove the chief impediment by dispatching his rival out of the world. 1796 MORSE Amer. Geog. I. 100 To desire that they would be more expeditious in dispatching her out of her misery.
c. to dispatch the life of. Obs.
1586 MARLOWE 1st Pt. Tamburl. V. ii, The Turk and his great Emperess..Have desperately despatch'd their slavish lives. 1605 SHAKES. Lear IV. v. 12 Edmund, I thinke is gone In pitty of his misery, to dispatch His [Glouster's] nighted life. 1632 J. HAYWARD tr. Biondi's Eromena 61 Which if it had hit, where he levelled, dispatched had beene the life of Tolmido.
5. To dispose or rid oneself promptly of (a piece of business, etc.); to get done, get through, accomplish, settle, finish off, conclude, execute promptly or speedily.
a1533 LD. BERNERS Huon ci. 330 Dyspatch the mater and reuenge me. 1547 BOORDE Introd. Knowl. 145 He had many matters of state to dyspache. 1551 ROBINSON tr. More's Utop. II. (Arb.) 74 The worke beyng diuided into so greate a numbre of workemen, was with excedinge maruelous spede dyspatched. 1659 B. HARRIS Parival's Iron Age 202 He was so..unlike to live, that his Christening was dispatcht in hast. 1667 PEPYS Diary (1879) IV. 239 To my office, where dispatched some business. 1751 JOHNSON Rambler No. 161 4, I..soon dispatched a bargain on the usual terms. 1776 Let. to Mrs. Thrale 6 May, We dispatched our journey very peacably. 1782 PRIESTLEY Corrupt. Chr. II. IX. 152 Dominic easily dispatched this task in six days. 1856 FROUDE Hist. Eng. (1858) I. iii. 219 Causes lingering before his commissaries were summarily dispatched at a higher tribunal. 1895 F. HALL Two Trifles 27, I must dispatch my errand and be off.
1817 MOORE Lalla R. (1824) 126 Veiled Proph., The matter is easily despatched. 1884 CHURCH Bacon ix. 218 Two of the great divisions of knowledge..are despatched in comparatively short chapters.
b. To ‘dispose of’ or ‘make away with’ (food, a meal) promptly or quickly; to eat up, consume, devour. colloq.
1711 ADDISON Spect. No. 7 1, I dispatched my Dinner as soon as I could. 1833 H. MARTINEAU Brooke F. ix. 112 The roast beef and plum-puddings had been dispatched.
1826 SCOTT Woodst. v, I saw two rascallions engaged in..despatching a huge venison pasty. 1837 DISRAELI Venetia I. xv, The brother magistrates despatched their rumpsteak.
c. trans. To produce or ‘turn out’ promptly or quickly. Obs.
c1710 C. FIENNES Diary (1888) 101 There are also paper mills wch dispatches paper at a quick rate. 1711 STEELE Tatler IV. Pref. 2 The great Ease with which he is able to dispatch the most entertaining Pieces of this Nature.
6. To remove, dispel, do away with; to dispose of, get rid of. Obs.
1568 GRAFTON Chron. II. 395 Dispatching some by death, and other by banishment. 1578 LYTE Dodoens III. xlvi. 382 It dissolveth and dispatcheth congeled blood. 1600 HOLLAND Livy XXII. vi. 435 The heat of the sunne had broken and dispatched the mist. 1726 Adv. Capt. R. Boyle 221 To dispatch all fear of Resistance, I can assure you there are but two more Servants in the House.
b. To ‘get rid of’ (goods); to dispose of (by sale). Obs.
1592 GREENE Disput. 17 The Paynters coulde not dispatche and make away theyr Vermiglion, if tallowe faced whoores vsde it not for their cheekes. 1632 LITHGOW Trav. VIII. 355 Rings..valued to a hundred Chickens of Malta, eight shillings the peece, which I dispatched for lesser.
c. To put out of the way, stow away. rare.
1567 R. EDWARDS Damon & P. in Hazl. Dodsley IV. 39 Such a crafty spy I have caught..Snap the tipstaff..Brought him to the court, and in the porter's lodge dispatched him.
** To rid (a person) of something.
7. trans. To rid (a person, etc. of, from, some encumbrance or hindrance); to deliver, free, relieve.
1530 PALSGR. 520/1 We shall dispatche us of hym well ynoughe. c1534 tr. Pol. Verg. Eng. Hist. (Camden) I. 161 The thinge which shoulde cleanlie dispatche him of all languor and sorrow. 1548 UDALL, etc. Erasmus Par. Pref. 18 Whan I had cleane dispatched myself of this great charge and taske. 1549 COVERDALE, etc. Erasm. Par. 1 Tim. vi. 17 Thinges so incertain that yf casualtie take them not awaye, yet at lest death despatcheth vs from them. 1561 J. DAUS tr. Bullinger on Apoc. (1573) 315 Dispatch vs from euils, graunt us the good thinges promised. 1562 TURNER Baths 6b, Some are dispatched of their diseases here in sixe dayes. 1580 BARET Alv. D 884 To dispatch himself out of a businesse..To dispatch and ridde out of trouble. 1594 PLAT Jewell-ho. III. 57 You shall soone dispatch your barnes..of al these wastfull birds. a1641 BP. R. MONTAGU Acts & Mon. (1642) 295 Antipater being dispatched of these two competitors, had an easier course to run.
b. To deprive, bereave. Obs. (Cf. 4.)
1602 SHAKES. Ham. I. v. 75 Thus was I, sleeping, by a Brothers hand, Of Life, of Crowne, and Queene at once dispatcht. 1606 G. W[OODCOCKE] tr. Ivstine's Hist. 94a, Aristotimus was dispatched both of life and rule.
II. intransitive.
8. (for refl. 1b.) To start promptly for a place, get away quickly, make haste to go, hasten away.
1587 TURBERV. Trag. T. (1837) 101 Howe he mought..Dispatche and goe unto the place. 1597 SHAKES. 2 Hen. IV, IV. iii. 82 And now dispatch we toward the Court. 1670 EACHARD Cont. Clergy 52 Dispatch forthwith for Peru and Jamaica. 1712 W. ROGERS Voy. 400 That we might dispatch for the Cape of Good Hope, as fast as possible.
9. To make haste (to do something), hasten, be quick. Obs. or arch.
1581 G. PETTIE Guazzo's Civ. Conv. I. (1586) 24b, Dispatch I pray you to shew me. 1591 FLORIO 2nd Fruites 5 Dispatch and giue me a shirt. 1692 R. L'ESTRANGE Josephus' Antiq. IV. i. (1733) 78/1 Why do we not dispatch then and take possession? 1712 ARBUTHNOT John Bull III. iii, Thou hast so many ‘If's’ and ‘And's’! Prithee, dispatch. 1753 FOOTE Eng. in Paris I. Wks. 1799 I. 37 Hold your jaw and dispatch. 1828 SCOTT F.M. Perth viii, Butler Gilbert, dispatch, thou knave. 1833 L. RITCHIE Wand. by Loire 146 ‘Comedespatch!’ said the imperial sponsor; and the ceremony was hurried through.
10. (absol. from 5). To conclude or settle a business; to get through, have done (with). Obs.
1603 SHAKES. Meas. for M. III. i. 279 At that place call vpon me, and dispatch with Angelo, that it may be quickly. 1666 BOYLE Orig. Formes & Qual. (1667) 51 And thus (to dispatch) by the bruising of Fruit, the Texture is commonly so chang'd, that [etc.].
Dispatch is used by Gabriel Harvey for the pa. pple.
1573 G. HARVEY Letter-bk. (Camden) 22, I hope mi long lingering matter is ere now quietly dispatch. 1577 Ibid. 58 Ar the[y] so soone dispatche in deede?
Hence dispatched ppl. a. (whence dispatchedly adv.); dispatching vbl. n. and ppl. a.
1552 HULOET, Dispatched, expeditus, perfectus. a1564 BECON Acts Christ & Antichr. Prayers, etc. (1844) 531 Unto the dispatching of their torments, if they be in purgatory. 1611 FLORIO, Spacciatamente, dispatchedly, out of hand, with riddance or much speed. 1615 W. HULL Mirr. Maiestie 78 Not to a dispatching, easy, honourable kind of death, but to the lingring, painefull, ignominious death of the Crosse. 1633 Costlie Whore IV. iii. in Bullen O. Pl. IV, A cup of poyson Stuft with dispatching Simples. 16.. Cabbala, Marq. Ynoiosa to Lord Conway (R.), I have differed the dispatching of a currier. 1893 Star 25 Feb. 4/3 The port is at the dispatching point of the Cheshire salt trade.