dispatch

Everyday

1. (verb) To dispatch something is to send it somewhere, such as a parcel or a letter. tree →
2. (verb) To dispatch someone is to send them to a place for a job, such as an ambulance or police officer. tree →
3. (noun) Dispatch is the act of sending things off. tree →
4. (noun) A dispatch is an official message or a news report sent from far away. tree →
5. (formal or old-fashioned) To dispatch an animal or enemy can mean to kill it quickly. tree →
6. (formal) To dispatch a job is to do it quickly. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life online shops dispatch orders; in safety, an emergency call centre dispatches ambulances, fire engines and police. In maths problems dispatched items leave a warehouse, so stock goes down. Phrases: dispatch an order, dispatch a team, emergency dispatch, with dispatch (quickly).

Examples

• Your order will be dispatched within two days. tree →
• The call centre dispatched an ambulance at once. tree →
• The warehouse dispatched 240 boxes on Monday. tree →
• The general sent a dispatch to the king. tree →
• Firefighters were dispatched to the burning barn. tree →
• She dispatched her homework in ten minutes. tree →
• The parcel was dispatched from Sydney. tree →
• He waited in patience for another opportunity to dispatch the ogre. tree →

Note

Also spelled «despatch» in some British writing. Plural noun: dispatches. In maths: «had 500 boxes, dispatched 240» leaves 500 − 240 = 260. A «dispatcher» is a person who sends out emergency vehicles.