discharge

1 verb

1 SEND SB AWAY (T) to officially allow a person to go or send them away, especially after being ill in hospital or working in the army, navy etc

(+ from): I think Oliver gets discharged from the RAF in August. | discharge yourself (=leave hospital before your treatment is complete)

2 LET STH OUT (intransitive always + adv/prep, transitive) to send out gas, liquid, smoke etc, or allow it to escape

(+ into): pollutants being discharged into the atmosphere

3 SHOOT (T) to fire a gun or shoot an arrow (1) etc

4 discharge a duty/promise/responsibility etc formal to do properly everything that is part of a particular duty etc: the failure of the council to discharge its duty

5 discharge a debt formal to pay a debt

6 GOODS/PASSENGERS (T) to unload goods or passengers from a ship, plane etc

7 ELECTRICITY (I, T) if a piece of electrical equipment discharges or is discharged, it sends out electricity

8 A WOUND (I, T) to send out pus (=infected liquid)

2 noun

1 (U) the action of allowing someone to go away, especially someone who has been ill in hospital or working in the army, navy etc

(+ from): Patents' needs after discharge from hospital will be monitored. —see also: dishonourable discharge

2 (C, U) the act of sending out gas, liquid, smoke etc, or the substance that is sent out

(+ of): the discharge of toxic waste into the sea | nasal/vaginal discharge (=a thick liquid that comes out of someone's nose or vagina because of illness)

3 (C, U) electricity that is sent out by a piece of equipment, a storm etc

4 (uncountable + of) the act of doing a duty or paying a debt: the discharge of the college's legal responsibilities