Definition of dispatch verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary



    (British English also despatch) verb
    BrE BrE//dɪˈspætʃ//
    ; NAmE NAmE//dɪˈspætʃ//
    Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they dispatch
    BrE BrE//dɪˈspætʃ//
    ; NAmE NAmE//dɪˈspætʃ//
    he / she / it dispatches
    BrE BrE//dɪˈspætʃɪz//
    ; NAmE NAmE//dɪˈspætʃɪz//
    past simple dispatched
    BrE BrE//dɪˈspætʃt//
    ; NAmE NAmE//dɪˈspætʃt//
    past participle dispatched
    BrE BrE//dɪˈspætʃt//
    ; NAmE NAmE//dɪˈspætʃt//
    -ing form dispatching
    BrE BrE//dɪˈspætʃɪŋ//
    ; NAmE NAmE//dɪˈspætʃɪŋ//
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  1. 1dispatch somebody/something (to…) (formal) to send somebody/something somewhere, especially for a special purpose Troops have been dispatched to the area. A courier was dispatched to collect the documents.
  2. 2dispatch something (to somebody/something) (formal) to send a letter, package or message somewhere Goods are dispatched within 24 hours of your order reaching us. Weir dispatched 50 messages back to base.
  3. 3dispatch somebody/something (formal) to deal or finish with somebody/something quickly and completely He dispatched the younger player in straight sets.
  4. 4dispatch somebody/something (old-fashioned) to kill a person or an animal
  5. Word Originearly 16th cent.: from Italian dispacciare or Spanish despachar ‘expedite’, from dis-, des- (expressing reversal) + the base of Italian impacciare, Spanish empachar ‘hinder’.
See the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary entry: dispatch