Disgage

/dɪsˈɡeɪdʒ/ verb

Definition

To release or free something from being engaged or locked in place; to disengage.

Etymology

From dis- (meaning 'release' or 'reverse') combined with gage (from Old French gauge, relating to pledges or measurement, later meaning 'to engage'). The word is archaic and largely replaced by 'disengage.'

Kelly Says

The word 'gage' as a verb meaning 'to engage' or 'to pledge' is now almost entirely dead except in historical texts and phrases like 'pawn'—so 'disgage' died with it, showing how losing one word can kill its related opposites.

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