disappear

Everyday

1. To disappear means to go out of sight so that you can no longer be seen. tree →
2. To disappear means to stop existing or to be lost: the dinosaurs disappeared long ago. tree →
3. If something disappears, it may have been taken or lost and cannot be found. tree →

In the lessons

In science things seem to disappear but often change form: sugar disappears in water (dissolves) but is still there; a puddle disappears because the water evaporates. In stories, disappearing is magic or mystery: a disappearing coin, a missing character. In safety lessons, if a friend or little child disappears from view, tell an adult straight away. Phrases: disappear from view, disappear into thin air, a disappearing act, vanish.

Examples

• The sun disappeared behind a cloud. tree →
• My pencil has disappeared again! tree →
• The rabbit disappeared down a hole. tree →
• Sugar seems to disappear when you stir it into tea, but it's still there. tree →
• The puddles disappeared after the sun came out. tree →
• Many kinds of animals are disappearing because their homes are destroyed. tree →
• The magician made the coin disappear. tree →
• If your little brother disappears in a shop, tell a member of staff. tree →
• Then they finished dressing and disappeared. tree →

Note

Spelling: one «s», two «p»: dis-ap-pear. Regular: disappeared. «Disappear» does not take an object: «the coin disappeared», but «the magician made the coin disappear». Opposite: appear. In science «disappear» usually means changed or hidden, not destroyed.