Disarm Meaning
/dɪsˈɑː(ɹ)m/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
verbTo deprive of weapons; to deprive of the means of attack or defense; to render defenseless.
verbTo deprive of the means or the disposition to harm; to render harmless or innocuous.
Sentence Examples
How are you going to disarm Tom?
Should we disarm police?
CEFR Practice Quiz
The security team tried to ____ the suspect by removing his hidden weapon.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
How are you going to ____ Tom?
Word Origin & History
From Middle English desarmen (“to divest of arms”), from Anglo-Norman desarmer.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"[recreation of speech given in 1775] They tell us, sir, […] that we are weak―unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? […] Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and a British guard shall be stationed in every house?"
— 1817, William Wirt, Sketches of the Life and Character of Patrick Henry:
"The Japanese armored cruiser Nisshin has been hit badly. Shells have sheared off several main guns and virtually disarmed the vessel. In the middle of all this, one Ensign Isoroku Yamamoto loses two fingers to the remains of an explosion."
— 2019 September 18, Drachinifel, 26:33 from the start, in Battle of Tsushima - When the 2nd Pacific Squadron thought it couldn't get any worse..., archived from the original on 04 Dec 2022:
"ON THE NARROW GAUGE. By P. B. Whitehouse. Nelson 30s. [...] In an introductory note Mr. Whitehouse disarms any criticism from narrow-gauge aficionados as immersed in the subject as himself by pointing out that his book has no pretensions to the status of a new narrow-gauge textbook; [...]."
— 1964 July, “New Books”, in Modern Railways, page 74:
"In some towns and cities, NOW members are still seen as "a bunch of lesbians" and the issue is continually used against them. Only by realizing that the name calling will stop once feminists work to disarm the word "lesbian" of its negative connotations, will non-lesbian members cease their fears of lesbian presence in the chapter."
— 1978 December 16, Cnidy Stein, “The Lavender Menace Lives”, in Gay Community News, volume 6, number 21, page 13:
"Foremost in her arsenal is that smile – so enormous and so absurdly disarming that someone should have worked out a way to harness its power into international conflict resolution."
— 2014 January 21, Hermione Hoby, “Julia Roberts interview for August: Osage County – 'I might actually go to hell for this ...': Julia Roberts reveals why her violent, Oscar-nominated performance in August: Osage County made her feel 'like a terrible person' [print version: 'I might actually go to hell for this ...' (18 January 2014, p. R4)]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review):
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The security team tried to ____ the suspect by removing his hidden weapon.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
How are you going to ____ Tom?