Library / English Dictionary

REMOVE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Degree of figurative distance or separation

Example:

it imitates at many removes a Shakespearean tragedy

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

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

distance (the property created by the space between two objects or points)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract

Example:

This machine withdraws heat from the environment

Synonyms:

remove; take; take away; withdraw

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

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

depilate; epilate (remove body hair)

harvest (remove from a culture or a living or dead body, as for the purposes of transplantation)

tip (remove the tip from)

stem (remove the stem from)

extirpate (surgically remove (an organ))

enucleate (remove (a tumor or eye) from an enveloping sac or cover)

exenterate (remove the contents of (an organ))

enucleate (remove the nucleus from (a cell))

decorticate (remove the cortex of (an organ))

bail (remove (water) from a vessel with a container)

disinvest; divest; strip; undress (remove (someone's or one's own) clothes)

ablate (remove an organ or bodily structure)

clean; pick (remove unwanted substances from, such as feathers or pits)

clean (remove shells or husks from)

fan; winnow (blow away or off with a current of air)

pick (remove in small bits)

clear; clear up (free (the throat) by making a rasping sound)

muck (remove muck, clear away muck, as in a mine)

lift (remove from a surface)

lift (take off or away by decreasing)

lift (remove from a seedbed or from a nursery)

rip off; tear away; tear off (remove by pulling or ripping violently and forcefully)

take off (take away or remove)

take away; take out (take out or remove)

pit; stone (remove the pits from)

seed (remove the seeds from)

unhinge (remove the hinges from)

shuck (remove the shucks from)

hull (remove the hulls from)

crumb (remove crumbs from)

chip away; chip away at (remove or withdraw gradually:)

burl (remove the burls from cloth)

knock out (destroy or break forcefully)

clean; scavenge (remove unwanted substances from)

hypophysectomise; hypophysectomize (remove the pituitary glands)

degas (remove gas from)

husk; shell (remove the husks from)

bur; burr (remove the burrs from)

clear away; clear off (remove from sight)

flick (remove with a flick (of the hand))

dismantle; strip (take off or remove)

strip (remove a constituent from a liquid)

clear (remove)

defang (remove the fangs from)

bone; debone (remove the bones from)

disembowel; draw; eviscerate (remove the entrails of)

shell (remove from its shell or outer covering)

shuck (remove from the shell)

detusk; tusk (remove the tusks of animals)

dehorn (prevent the growth of horns of certain animals)

scalp (remove the scalp of)

weed (clear of weeds)

condense (remove water from)

bail out; bale out (remove (water) from a boat by dipping and throwing over the side)

leach; strip (remove substances from by a percolating liquid)

decalcify (remove calcium or lime from)

detoxicate; detoxify (remove poison from)

de-ionate (remove ions from)

de-iodinate (remove iodine from)

decarbonise; decarbonize; decarburise; decarburize; decoke (remove carbon from (an engine))

delouse (free of lice)

ream (remove by making a hole or by boring)

brush (remove with or as if with a brush)

wash; wash away; wash off; wash out (remove by the application of water or other liquid and soap or some other cleaning agent)

desorb (remove from a surface on which it is adsorbed)

pull (take away)

demineralise; demineralize (remove the minerals or salts from)

eliminate (remove (an unknown variable) from two or more equations)

clear out; drive out; expectorate (clear out the chest and lungs)

carve out (remove from a larger whole)

defuse (remove the triggering device from)

dredge (remove with a power shovel, usually from a bottom of a body of water)

wear away; wear off (diminish, as by friction)

amputate; cut off (remove surgically)

eviscerate; resect (surgically remove a part of a structure or an organ)

cream; cream off; skim; skim off (remove from the surface)

strip (remove the surface from)

strip (strip the cured leaves from)

descale; scale (remove the scales from)

circumcise (cut the foreskin off male babies or teenage boys)

undock (take (a ship) out of a dock)

cut into; delve; dig; turn over (turn up, loosen, or remove earth)

dig; excavate; hollow (remove the inner part or the core of)

lift out; scoop; scoop out; scoop up; take up (take out or up with or as if with a scoop)

draw out; extract; pull; pull out; pull up; rip out; take out; tear out (remove, usually with some force or effort; also used in an abstract sense)

take out (remove something from a container or an enclosed space)

unstring (remove the strings from)

string (remove the stringy parts of)

wipe away; wipe off (remove by wiping)

bear away; bear off; carry away; carry off; take away (remove from a certain place, environment, or mental or emotional state; transport into a new location or state)

unveil (remove the cover from)

take out; unpack (remove from its packing)

disburden; unburden (take the burden off; remove the burden from)

empty (remove)

discharge (remove the charge from)

offsaddle; unsaddle (remove the saddle from)

cast; cast off; drop; shake off; shed; throw; throw away; throw off (get rid of)

dislodge; free (remove or force out from a position)

clean (remove while making clean)

aspirate; draw out; suck out (remove by suction)

cancel; delete (remove or make invisible)

lade; laden; ladle (remove with or as if with a ladle)

spoon (scoop up or take up with a spoon)

gut (remove the guts of)

head (remove the head of)

draw away; draw off; pull off (remove by drawing or pulling)

clean; strip (remove all contents or possession from, or empty completely)

draw; take out (take liquid out of a container or well)

draw; get out; pull; pull out; take out (bring, take, or pull out of a container or from under a cover)

leach (cause (a liquid) to leach or percolate)

draw (cause to flow)

draw; draw off; take out; withdraw (remove (a commodity) from (a supply source))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something from somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP

Sentence example:

They want to remove the doors

Derivation:

remotion; removal (the act of removing)

remover (a solvent that removes a substance (usually from a surface))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Go away or leave

Example:

He absented himself

Synonyms:

absent; remove

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

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

disappear; go away; vanish (get lost, as without warning or explanation)

Sentence frames:

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

Sense 3

Meaning:

Get rid of something abstract

Example:

God takes away your sins

Synonyms:

remove; take away

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

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

wash away (eliminate)

Sentence frames:

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

Sense 4

Meaning:

Shift the position or location of, as for business, legal, educational, or military purposes

Example:

remove a case to another court

Synonyms:

remove; transfer

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

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

shift; transfer (move around)

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

exfiltrate (transfer secretly out of an area under enemy control)

Sentence frames:

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

Sense 5

Meaning:

Dispose of

Example:

The company got rid of all the dead wood

Synonyms:

get rid of; remove

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

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

cast aside; cast away; cast out; chuck out; discard; dispose; fling; put away; throw away; throw out; toss; toss away; toss out (throw or cast away)

slough off (discard as undesirable)

comb out; weed out (remove unwanted elements)

work off (cause to go away through effort or work)

cull (remove something that has been rejected)

ditch; dump (sever all ties with, usually unceremoniously or irresponsibly)

unmuzzle (remove the muzzle from (a dog))

de-aerate; deaerate (remove air or gas from)

decaffeinate (remove caffeine from (coffee))

decarbonate (remove carbon dioxide from)

decerebrate (remove the cerebrum from (a human body))

dechlorinate (remove chlorine from (water))

defat (remove the fat from)

defibrinate (remove fibrin from (blood))

degrease (remove grease or oil from (a pan))

deionize (remove ions from)

delist (remove (a security) from listing at a stock exchange)

delocalize (remove from the proper or usual locality)

deoxygenate (remove oxygen from (water))

destain (remove stain from (a laboratory specimen) to enhance contrast)

desulfurize; desulphurize (remove sulfur from)

detick (free (a pet) of ticks)

devein (remove the dark dorsal vein of (a shrimp))

fettle (remove mold marks or sand from (a casting))

flesh (remove adhering flesh from (hides) when preparing leather manufacture)

flense (strip the blubber or skin from (a whale or seal))

kern (remove a portion of space between (adjacent letters))

pith (remove the pith from (a plant))

scum (remove the scum from)

unbridle (remove the bridle from (a horse or mule))

Sentence frames:

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

Derivation:

removal (the act of removing)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Remove from a position or an office

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

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

unseat (remove from political office)

boot out; drum out; expel; kick out; oust; throw out (remove from a position or office)

can; dismiss; displace; fire; force out; give notice; give the axe; give the sack; sack; send away; terminate (terminate the employment of; discharge from an office or position)

drop (terminate an association with)

pull off (cause to withdraw)

winkle out (force from a place or position)

invalid (force to retire, remove from active duty, as of firemen)

bench (take out of a game; of players)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

removal (dismissal from office)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Cause to leave

Example:

The teacher took the children out of the classroom

Synonyms:

move out; remove; take out

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Cause:

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

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

clear (remove (people) from a building)

call in (take a player out of a game in order to exchange for another player)

estrange (remove from customary environment or associations)

Sentence frames:

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

Sense 8

Meaning:

Kill intentionally and with premeditation

Example:

The mafia boss ordered his enemies murdered

Synonyms:

bump off; dispatch; hit; murder; off; polish off; remove; slay

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

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

kill (cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly)

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

burke (murder without leaving a trace on the body)

execute (murder in a planned fashion)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Credits

 Context examples: 

Nothing could do away the knowledge of what the latter had suffered through his means, nor remove the guilt of his conduct towards Eliza.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Pseudomonas exotoxin PE38KDEL was modified to remove the natural cell binding domain.

(Anti-EGFRvIII Immunotoxin MR1-1, NCI Thesaurus)

Removing the copper may prevent the growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow and may kill cancer cells.

(Ammonium tetrathiomolybdate, NCI Dictionary)

It moves cerebrospinal fluid, a clear liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord, quickly and deeply thoughout the brain, removing waste.

(Lymphatic Vessels Discovered in Central Nervous System, NIH)

Damp would of course have removed this.

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

A large portion of the flavanols can also be removed during processing.

(Can Chocolate Really Be Good for You?, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Lady Russell had another excellent one at hand, for being extremely glad that Sir Walter and his family were to remove from the country.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Again she started to remove her hand.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

But Captain Tilney had at present no intention of removing; he was not to be of the party to Northanger; he was to continue at Bath.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

These enzymes add or remove chemical tags, which indirectly controls if genes are turned on or off.

(Scientists find promising drug combination against lethal childhood brain cancers, National Institutes of Health)