Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To relieve (a pack animal, for example) of a burden.
  • intransitive verb To free of a burden or trouble.
  • intransitive verb To unload.
  • intransitive verb To unload a burden.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To remove a burden from; rid of a burden; relieve of anything weighty, oppressive, or annoying; disencumber; unburden; unload.
  • To lay off or aside as oppressive or annoying; get rid of; relieve one's self of.
  • Synonyms To disencumber, free, lighten, discharge, disembarrass.
  • To ease the mind; be relieved.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To relieve one's self of a burden; to ease the mind.
  • transitive verb To rid of a burden; to free from a load borne or from something oppressive; to unload; to disencumber; to relieve.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb to remove the load from a pack animal, or unload a vehicle etc
  • verb to remove a source of mental trouble

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb take the burden off; remove the burden from

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

dis- +‎ burden

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Examples

  • And when their arms are sufficiently weighted with my yellow glories, I go down with the rifle over my arm and disburden them.

    The Golden Poppy 2010

  • Controul, disburden my over − charg'd Heart of Sighs and Tears.

    The Amours of Bosvil and Galesia 2008

  • “In the name of God,” said Menteith, trembling with emotion, “if you know aught of the birth of this lady, do thy conscience the justice to disburden it of the secret before departing from this world!”

    A Legend of Montrose 2008

  • Controul, disburden my over − charg'd Heart of Sighs and Tears.

    The Amours of Bosvil and Galesia 2008

  • Wherefore I expect thee, I desire thee, I send for thee; for there be many things which trouble and molest me, which had I but thee in presence, I could quickly disburden myself of in a walking discourse.

    Anatomy of Melancholy 2007

  • When a country is overstocked with people, as a pasture is oft overlaid with cattle, they had wont in former times to disburden themselves, by sending out colonies, or by wars, as those old Romans; or by employing them at home about some public buildings, as bridges, roadways, for which those Romans were famous in this island; as Augustus Caesar did in Rome, the

    Anatomy of Melancholy 2007

  • But knowledge began in the mind, and was founded on particulars; though afterwards, perhaps, no notice was taken thereof: it being natural for the mind (forward still to enlarge its knowledge) most attentively to lay up those general notions, and make the proper use of them, which is to disburden the memory of the cumbersome load of particulars.

    An Essay Concerning Human Understanding 2007

  • But knowledge began in the mind, and was founded on particulars; though afterwards, perhaps, no notice was taken thereof: it being natural for the mind (forward still to enlarge its knowledge) most attentively to lay up those general notions, and make the proper use of them, which is to disburden the memory of the cumbersome load of particulars.

    God, Aids & Circumcision Hill, George 2005

  • But there was a dogged constancy of feeling about Maurice which could not allow him to disburden himself of his love.

    Tales of all countries 2004

  • Having no mother of my own, I hope you will give me leave to disburden my poor heart to you, who have always acted the part of a kind parent to me, ever since I was put under your care.

    The Expedition of Humphry Clinker 2004

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