disposal
(dɪˈspəʊzəl)
[f. dispose v. + -al1 5.]
The act or faculty of disposing, in various senses.
† 1. The action of arranging, ordering, or regulating by right of power or possession; control, direction, management; esp. Divine control of the course of events; ordinance, appointment, dispensation; = disposition 3. Obs.
| 1648 Milton Tenure Kings (1650) 3 God, out of his providence and high disposal. 1671 ― Samson 210 Tax not divine disposal. 1696 Whiston Th. Earth (1722) 8 An unusual and miraculous disposal of things. 1710 M. Henry Comm. Eccl. iii. 14 God changeth his disposals and yet is unchangeable in his Counsels. |
2. The action of disposing of, putting away, getting rid of, settling, or definitely dealing with.
| 1648 Gage West Ind. xiv. 93 A Letter which he had writ..concerning the disposall of our persons. 1688 Col. Rec. Pennsylv. I. 235 Touching y⊇ Great Seals's Disposall in his absence. 1731 Gay Let. to Swift 11 Apr. in Swift's Lett. (1766) II. 125 Directions about the disposal of your money. 1869 E. A. Parkes Pract. Hygiene (ed. 3) 505 The disposal of the dead is always a question of difficulty. 1885 Law Times LXXX. 138/1 To devote about a week..at the end of each sitting to the disposal of these actions. |
3. The action of bestowing, giving or making over; bestowal, assignment.
| 1660 F. Brooke tr. Le Blanc's Trav. 265 To his second Son he had given the Seniory..with other subsequent disposals. 1727 Pope Th. Var. Subj. in Swift's Wks. (1755) II. i. 229 To use his credit in the disposal of an employment to a person..fittest for it. 1783 Burke Sp. E. India Bill Wks. IV. 120 The disposal by parliament of any office derived from the authority of the crown. |
b. Alienation, making over, or parting with, by sale or the like.
| 1697 W. Dampier Voy. I. 503 To sell some commodities, that he had not yet disposed of..He chose rather to leave the disposal of them to some Merchant there. 1845 Stephen Laws Eng. (1874) II. 44 The right of disposal is suspended. a 1855 Miss Mitford in L'Estrange Life (1870) I. v. 118, I am happy that the speedy disposal of the pictures will enable you..to settle this unpleasant affair. |
4. Power or right to dispose of, make use of, or deal with as one pleases; control, command, management: usually in phr. at (in) one's disposal.
| 1630 Wadsworth Pilgr. viii. 82 My Father being dead, and I at my owne disposall. 1667 Bp. S. Parker Censure Platon. Philos. 7 Though the biggest portions of our felicity be at our own disposals. a 1698 Temple Ess., Diff. Cond. Life Wks. 1731 I. 308 A Man in Publick Affairs, is like one at Sea; never in his own Disposal, but in that of Winds and Tides. 1711 Steele Spect. No. 154 ¶3 A very pretty young Lady, in her own Disposal. 1767 Blackstone Comm. II. 216 The lords, who had the disposal of these female heiresses in marriage. 1856 Froude Hist. Eng. (1858) I. i. 84 Sufficient funds having been..placed at the disposal of the Government. |
5. Arrangement, placing in a particular order: = disposition 1.
| 1828 Webster s.v. Disposal, This object was effected by the disposal of the troops in two lines. 1842 Fraser's Mag. XXVI. 472 The admirable disposal of the drapery. 1890 A. Gissing Village Hampden I. viii. 190 A very tasteful disposal about the granary of flowers..and evergreens. |
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Add: [2.] b. A domestic waste disposal unit. U.S. colloq.
| 1953 Wall St. Jrnl. 14 Dec. 21/4 General Electric's Appliance Park development..is already making kitchen ranges, automatic washers and dryers, dishwashers and disposals. 1967 Mrs. L. B. Johnson White House Diary 25 June (1970) 539 Betty gave her the full treatment about the washer and dryer and disposal. 1973 Washington Post 13 Jan. e3/2 (Advt.), Each condominium comes equipped with an all electric kitchen, including dish-washer, frost-free refrigerator, range and disposal. 1986 Cambridge (Mass.) Chron. 6 Mar. 10 (Advt.), Wiring for elec. dryers, outlets, switches, ranges and disposals. |