uncouple

present singular third person uncouples · participle present uncoupling · participle past uncoupled · past uncoupled

1. transitiveTo disconnect or detach one thing from another.

   We uncoupled the trailer and left it behind.

   4 more examples

   The railway workers uncoupled the cars near the tail end of the train.

   On arrival at Spiez, the locomotive (No. 206) was immediately uncoupled and drew ahead to enable an Italian through coach from Interlaken to Milan to be loose shunted (with passengers aboard and controlled by means of its handbrake) on to the front of the train.

   1953 August, J. G. Click, “The Lötschberg Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 515

   The shunter has a lightweight portable radio transmitter by which, as he uncouples an incoming train into cuts for marshalling, he informs the Traffic Office of the number of wagons in each cut and its siding; [...].

   1960 June, “Talking of Trains: The new Margam yard”, in Trains Illustrated, page 323

   The driver remained at his post, while telling fireman Jim Nightall to get down on the track and run back to uncouple the burning wagon from the rest.

   2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948

   Synonyms: decouple, unpair, dispair

2. transitiveTo come loose.
3. transitiveTo loose, as dogs, from their couples.