The act or process of dismantling; the removal of parts of something or the taking apart of a structure.
From dismantle + -ment (suffix forming nouns of action or condition). Dismantle itself comes from dis- + mantle (from French manteau, meaning 'cloak'), originally meaning to remove armor or protective coverings.
The word 'dismantle' started as literally removing a cloak, but evolved to mean taking apart anything—watching 'dismantlement' of a building or organization echoes that image of stripping away layers.
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