disapparate
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]A negative back-formation from apparition, coined by J. K. Rowling.
Verb
[edit]disapparate (third-person singular simple present disapparates, present participle disapparating, simple past and past participle disapparated)
- (intransitive) To disappear magically.
- Antonym: reapparate
- 2007 August 12, Christopher Hitchens, “Harry Potter: The Boy Who Lived”, in New York Times[1]:
- But again, over time and over many, many pages this scenario fails to chill: most of the “muggle” population goes about its ordinary existence, and every time the secret police close in, our heroes are able to “disapparate” — a term that always makes me think of an attempt at English by George W. Bush.
- 2009 February 1, Catherine Bennett, “Does Labour really think John Prescott is the new Obama?”, in The Guardian[2]:
- Even without Alastair Campbell's assistance, a visiting idealist can see that the simplest thing John Prescott could do, to help secure a fourth term for Labour, would be to disapparate, taking his fellow revenants with him.
Usage notes
[edit]The word was invented by J. K. Rowling in the Harry Potter books to describe a form of teleportation from one place to another, but in derived usage it often means just to disappear completely.
Translations
[edit]to disappear magically
|