▪ I. dismiss, v.
(dɪsˈmɪs)
Pa. tense and pple. dismissed; in 5–7 dismyste, -mist.
[app. f. L. dīmiss- ppl. stem of dīmittĕre to send away (see dimit) with the prefix altered to dis- after the already existing dismit, OF. desmetre. It appears to occur first in the pa. pple. dismissed, used by Caxton (see sense 3) to render the OF. pa. pple. desmis (= L. dīmissus), and it is probable that this was the way by which dismiss became at length the accepted Eng. repr. of L. dīmittĕre in all its senses. It was preceded in use by dismit, and had to contend in 16–17th c. with the etymologically more regular forms dimit, dimiss, as well as demit v.2 (from F. démettre).]
1. a. trans. To send away in various directions, disperse, dissolve (a gathering of people, etc.); to disband (an army, etc.).
| 1582 N.T. (Rhem.) Acts xix. 41 He dismissed the assemblie. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. iv. i. 104, I may dismisse this Court. 1653 H. Cogan tr. Pinto's Trav. vi. 16 Relying on this Treaty of Peace he dismist his Army. 1673 Ray Journ. Low C. Venice 181 After this..the Council is dismist. 1784 Cowper Tiroc. 624 Dismiss their cares when they dismiss their flock. 1819 Shelley Cenci i. iii. 93 For God's sake Let me dismiss the guests! |
b. intr. (for refl.) To disperse from ordered assembly; to break ranks by word of command.
| 1809 A. Adam in Scott Fam. Lett. (1894) I. 155 He..added faintly, ‘But it grows dark, very dark, the boys may dismiss’. 1837 Carlyle Fr. Rev. vii. ix. (1872) I. 240 Finally the National Assembly is harangued..and dismisses for this night. 1859 Gen. P. Thompson Audi Alt. II. xcviii. 86 A ministry, which..scatters the boasted counsellors, like a battalion on the word ‘Dis-miss’. |
2. a. trans. To send away (a person); to give permission to go; to bid depart.
| 1548 Hall Chron., Edw. IV (an. 10) 214 b, So with fayre wordes..he dismissed the messengers. 1593 Shakes. 3 Hen. VI, iii. ii. 78 Please you dismisse me, eyther with I, or no. 1667 Milton P.L., vii. 108 We can..dismiss thee ere the Morning shine. 1725 De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 50 To dismiss my visitor. 1847 Tennyson Princ. iv. 341 Your oath is broken: we dismiss you: go. |
b. transf. To send forth (a thing); to let go; to give issue or egress to.
| 1601 Shakes. Jul. C. i. iii. 97 Life being wearie of these worldly Barres, Neuer lacks power to dismisse it selfe. 1670 Cotton Espernon i. iii. 116 In a moment he vomited out a life, that ought not to have been dismist, till after the horror of a thousand torments. 1768 J. Hawkesworth tr. Télémaque xv. (1784) 144/2 As a slinger whirls a stone that he would dismiss with all his strength. 1854 Owen in Circ. Sc. (c 1865) II. 65/2 They dismiss the great optic nerves by a notch. |
3. a. To send away or remove from office, employment, or position; to discharge, discard, expel. Const. from, † of, and double obj.
| c 1477 Caxton Jason 80 Zethephius dismissed of his office..attemprid his corage..so well..that [etc.]. 1481 in Eng. Gilds (1870) 313 To be thysmyste from the forsayde fraternyte. 1579 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 194, I meane shortly to sue to the Empresse to be dismissed of the court. 1692 Luttrell Brief Rel. (1857) II. 369 Yesterday Sir John Lowther was dismist the treasury. a 1700 Dryden To Ld. Clifford (L.), He soon dismiss'd himself from state affairs. 1719 De Foe Crusoe (1840) II. iv. 72 They dismissed them the society. 1874 Green Short Hist. viii. §2. 477 The King dismissed those of his ministers who still opposed a Spanish policy. |
b. To discharge from service (a hired vehicle, etc.).
| 1600 E. Blount tr. Conestaggio 299 Yet did they not dismisse their hired ships. 1836 Marryat Japhet lxxi. 137, I dismissed the coach. |
c. Cricket. To put (a batsman or side) out (usu. for a score).
| 1875 Field 22 May 501 Ten runs later Mr Longman was dismissed, and sundry changes were made in the bowling. 1892 Times 22 July 7 Afterwards Gunn saw the rest of his side dismissed, and took out his bat for a faultless 98. 1912 A. Brazil New Girl at St. Chad's vii. iii The St. Hilary side was dismissed for sixty-seven. 1933 D. L. Sayers Murder must Advertise xviii. 306 The Brotherhoods were dismissed for 155, and the Pym Eleven gathered themselves together from the four corners of the field. |
† 4. To deprive or disappoint of or from some advantage. Cf. 10 a. Obs.
| c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xx. 445 He was dysmyssed of his purpose. 1590 Webbe Trav. (Arb.) 22 The Turke..might, if he would, dismisse them cleane from hauing any water at all. 1632 Lithgow Trav. iii. 104 The Galleys..durst not enter the harbour..The Florentines being dismissed of their Galleys, grew discouraged. |
5. a. To release or discharge from confinement.
[Dysmysse in Halliwell's ed. of Coventry Myst. (1841) 315 is an alteration of the MS. dymysse.]
| 1651 N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. ii. lxvi. 227 Persons taken and imprisoned upon excommunication are ordinarily dismist without satisfaction to the Prelate. 1709 Strype Ann. Ref. I. i. 38 So to dismiss them, and set them at liberty. 1783 J. C. Smyth in Med. Commun. I 146 She..was dismissed the hospital, perfectly cured. |
b. transf. and fig.
| 1591 Sylvester Du Bartas i. i. (1641) 7/2 Blushing Aurora had yet scarce dismist Mount Libanus from the Nights gloomy Mist. 1839 De Quincey Recoll. Lakes Wks. 1862 II. 29 Sometimes a fall from the summit of awful precipices has dismissed them from the anguish of perplexity..by dismissing them at once from life. |
6. To discard, reject; esp. (as Latin dīmittĕre) to put away, repudiate (a wife). Also absol.
| 1610 Shakes. Temp. iv. i. 67 Broome-groues; Whose shadow the dismissed Batchelor loues. 1614 Bp. Hall Recoll. Treat. 473 Whether the wronged husband..should retaine, or dismisse; dismissing, whether he may marry. 1625 Burges Pers. Tithes 34 God..hath dismissed Leui, and repealed that Law of Tithes. 1649 Bp. Hall Cases Consc. 393 Breach of wedlock..for which only had they dismissed their wives. 1834 S. Gobat Abyssinia 346 When, therefore, a man has dismissed his third wife. |
7. To put away, lay aside, divest oneself of, get rid of. (Now rare with regard to things material.)
| 1675 Hobbes Odyssey (1677) 162 [Gods] can their form dismiss, And, when they will, put on a new disguise. 1683 A. Behn Young King v. i. 53 Dismiss her fetters, and if she please Let her have Garments suitable to her sex. a 1700 Dryden Ovid's Met. i. (R.) The crafty God His wings dismiss'd, but still retain'd his rod. 1772 Johnson Lett. to Mrs. Thrale 9 Nov., This will soon dismiss all incumbrances; and when no interest is paid, you will begin annually to lay up. 1851 Ruskin Stones Ven. (1874) I. xxviii. 325 That the architrave shall entirely dismiss its three meagre lines. |
8. a. To put away from the mind, leave out of consideration, cease to entertain (ideas, emotions, etc.).
| 1592 Shakes. Ven. & Ad. 425 Dismiss your vows, your feigned tears. 1667 Milton P.L. ii. 282 Dismissing quite All thoughts of Warr. 1697 Dryden Virg. Past. vii. 10 He, smiling, said, Dismiss your Fear. 1784 Cowper Task vi. 442 Man may dismiss compassion from his heart, But God will never. 1884 Manch. Exam. 17 June 5/1 We may dismiss any apprehension that the political affairs of Egypt will be taken in charge. |
† b. To allow to pass out of mind; to forgive; to forgo. Obs.
| 1603 Shakes. Meas. for M. ii. ii. 102 Those..which a dismis'd offence would after gaule. 1786 Wesley Wks. (1872) IV. 345 The Elders of his Church..would dismiss my promise. |
9. To pass from the consideration or the literary treatment of (a subject), to have done with, bring to an end; hence to treat of summarily.
| 1698 Fryer Acc. E. Ind. & P. 47 Before we dismiss this Discourse, it may be noted [etc.]. 1709 Berkeley Th. Vision §40 Before we dismiss this subject. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 110 ¶7, I shall dismiss this Paper with a Story out of Josephus. 1873 Tristram Moab v 70 Both De Saulcy and Lynch have dismissed Kerak very shortly. |
10. Law. † a. refl. (with of or inf.) To relieve or free oneself from (a legal burden); to deprive or exclude oneself from (a legal advantage). Obs.
| 1562 in Strype Ann. Ref. I. xxxi. 356 Thereby to be dismissed of all action of debt or trespass. 1574 tr. Littleton's Tenures 53 b, Shee hathe utterlye dismissed her selfe to have anye parte of the tenementes. a 1626 Bacon Max. & Uses Com. Law xvii. (1636) 64 The Court may dismisse themselves of discussing the matter by examination. 1642 Perkins Prof. Bk. v. §448. 193 The husband doth presently dismisse himselfe of the possession. |
b. To send out of court, refuse further hearing to, reject (a claim or action).
| 1607 Shakes. Cor. ii. i. 85 You..dismisse the Controuersie bleeding. 1713 Swift Cadenus & Vanessa Wks. 1755 III. ii. 5 Therefore he humbly would insist, The bill might be with costs dismist. 1818 Cruise Digest (ed. 2) VI. 352 The appeal should be dismissed and the decree affirmed. 1891 Law Times XCII. 93/2 The plaintiff's action was dismissed with costs. |
Hence dismissed (dɪsˈmɪst) ppl. a., disˈmissing vbl. n.
| 1603–10 [see 8 b, 6, above]. 1611 Cotgr., Manumission, a manumission, or dismissing. 1627 [see dismission 2 b]. 1824 L. Murray Eng. Gram. (ed. 5) I. 266 ‘What is the reason of this person's dismissing of his servant so hastily?’ |
▪ II. † disˈmiss, n. Obs.
[f. prec. vb.]
An act of dismissing, a dismissal; also, a document embodying a dismissal.
| 1589 Raleigh Let. in N. & Q. Ser. iii. IV. 3 Order from the Queen for a dismis of their cavelacions. 1618 L. Parsons in Lismore Papers (1887) Ser. ii. II. 154, I send away this bearer..with his dissmiss hereinclosed. 1645 Milton Tetrach. Wks. 1738 I. 265 Provided that the dismiss was not without reasonable conditions to the Wife. 1678 Massacre Irel. 2 The Priests gave the People a dismiss at Mass. 1705 De Foe Review 17 Feb. in Arb. Garner VII. 624 At the dismiss of their work. |