dispose

present singular third person disposes · participle present disposing · participle past disposed · past disposed

1. intransitivewith ofTo eliminate or to get rid of something.

   I dispose of my trash in the garbage can.

2. To distribute or arrange; to put in place.

   Now, dear soldiers, march away: / And how thou pleasest, God, dispose the day!

   1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]

   3 more examples

   Marianne’s pianoforte was unpacked and properly disposed of, and Elinor’s drawing were affixed to the walls of their sitting rooms.

   1811, [Jane Austen], Sense and Sensibility […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] C[harles] Roworth, […], and published by T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC

   I sat down within three feet of the entrance door, and I had no sooner got disposed than the door opened and a man came in[…].

   1934, Rex Stout, Fer-de-Lance, Bantam, published 1992, →ISBN, page 47

   By disposing the driving power over a number of cars instead of concentrating it in a single locomotive a great advance was made towards a high rate of acceleration.

   1950 September, “Central London Railway Jubilee”, in Railway Magazine, page 620

3. To deal out; to assign to a use.

   what he designed to bestow on her funeral, he would rather dispose among the poor

   1818 (first published), John Evelyn, diary entry for 1634

4. To incline.

   In these uncertain times, I am disposed towards caution.

   3 more examples

   Endure and conquer; Jove will soon dispose / To future good our past and present woes.

   1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

   They [suspicions] dispose kings to tyranny, husbands to jealousy, and wise men to irresolution and melancholy.

   1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Suspicion”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC

   At twilight in the summer[…]the mice come out. They[…]eat the luncheon crumbs. Mr. Checkly, for instance, always brought his dinner in a paper parcel in his coat-tail pocket, and ate it when so disposed, sprinkling crumbs lavishly[…]on the floor.

   1892, Walter Besant, chapter II, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC

5. obsoleteTo bargain; to make terms.

   She had disposed with Caesar.

   1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]

6. obsoleteTo regulate; to adjust; to settle; to determine.

   the knightly forms of combat to dispose

   1700, [John] Dryden, “Palamon and Arcite: Or, The Knight’s Tale. In Three Books.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

1. obsoleteThe disposal or management of something.

   By thus doing, he submits himself to God's rod, commits himself to the dispose of his providence; yea, by thus doing, he casteth the lot of his present and future condition into the lap of his creditors, and leaves the whole dispose thereof to the Lord […]

   1680, John Bunyan, The Life and Death of Mr Badman

2. obsoleteBehaviour; disposition.