disconnect
/ˌdɪskəˈnekt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌdɪskəˈnekt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌdis-kə-ˈnekt/ (ame, mw) · /ˈdɪs.kənekt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdɪs.kənekt/ (ame, ipa)
disconnect — verb
- disconnectpresent simple I / you / we / they
- disconnectshe / she / it
- disconnectedpast simple
- disconnecting-ing form
1. to take a device or appliance away from the power, water, or gas supply that run
to take a device or appliance away from the power, water, or gas supply that runs it, usually by pulling out a plug or closing a valve.
Before changing the bulb, Theo carefully disconnected the lamp from the wall socket.
disconnect [object] from [source]
The plumber asked Camila to disconnect the washing machine before opening the wall.
transitive: disconnect [appliance]
Always disconnect the printer when you carry it between rooms in the office.
Noor disconnected her phone charger and tucked it into a side pocket of her bag.
The technician disconnected the broken speakers from the amplifier and tested each cable in turn.
文法句型
disconnect [object]
disconnect [object] from [source]
用法筆記
Object is usually a physical device, cable, or appliance; the preposition 'from' introduces the supply or larger system the item is being separated from.
常見錯誤
2. if a utility company disconnects a home or customer, it officially stops sending
if a utility company disconnects a home or customer, it officially stops sending electricity, gas, water, or phone service to that address, usually because the customer owes overdue charges.
The gas company disconnected the bakery after the owner missed three monthly payments.
subject is usually a utility company
Élise was disconnected last winter and washed her dishes in cold water for days.
passive: be disconnected
Pay the overdue bill today or the water provider will disconnect the whole apartment building.
Many low-income families were disconnected during the energy crisis last December.
The phone company disconnected Gabriel's landline because he had moved without telling them.
文法句型
disconnect [customer/building]
be disconnected
用法筆記
Subject is usually a utility company or service provider; very often appears in the passive ('was disconnected'). Distinguish from sense 1: here the customer or building loses service, not a single appliance.
常見錯誤
3. when a phone call ends suddenly without either speaker hanging up, so the two pe
when a phone call ends suddenly without either speaker hanging up, so the two people can no longer hear each other and have to call back.
Halfway through the interview, Meera was disconnected and had to redial three times.
passive: be disconnected during a call
The call disconnected right as Takeshi was reading out his credit card number.
intransitive: subject is the call
We kept getting disconnected during the storm, so the manager emailed her answers instead.
If you get disconnected, please ring us back on the same number within five minutes.
Linh tried again, but the call disconnected before her mother could answer.
- reconnect
ring again and resume the call
文法句型
be disconnected
the call disconnected
用法筆記
Almost always passive ('be disconnected') or intransitive with 'call' as the subject; you rarely say a person actively disconnects another in this sense. Distinguish from sense 1 (a device unplugged) and sense 2 (a utility cut off).
常見錯誤
disconnect — noun
- disconnectsingular
- disconnectsplural
1. a clear gap or mismatch between two things that you would expect to fit together
a clear gap or mismatch between two things that you would expect to fit together, such as what someone says and what they do, or what a plan promises and what really happens.
There is a real disconnect between the company's green slogans and its daily packaging waste.
a disconnect between [X] and [Y]
Christopher noticed a disconnect between the survey results and the stories from the factory floor.
Parents complained about a growing disconnect between the school's promises and its classroom reality.
The report highlights a serious disconnect between government policy and the needs of small farmers.
Yael felt a quiet disconnect between her career goals and the new role offered.
- gap
everyday; the most common informal equivalent
- mismatch
neutral; emphasises two things that should match but do not
- inconsistency
more formal; focuses on logical conflict
- alignment
formal; the two things fit together as expected
- consistency
the two things agree
文法句型
a disconnect between [X] and [Y]
用法筆記
Almost always introduced with 'a' (a disconnect, not 'disconnect') and very often followed by 'between X and Y'. Common adjective modifiers: 'real', 'clear', 'growing', 'serious'. Stress falls on the first syllable in the noun ('DIS-connect'), unlike the verb.