disable
verb
dis·able
dis-ˈā-bəl
diz-ˈā-
disabled; disabling
dis-ˈā-b(ə-)liŋ
diz-ˈā-
1
a
: to make ineffective or inoperative
disable a bomb
For victims of smartphone theft, the ultimate justice is hitting a button that disables the device, turning it into a worthless rectangular paperweight.—
Heather Kelley
… gene editing makes it possible to change or disable a single gene without changing the "meaning" of the rest of the genome.—
Kat McGowan
b
: to impair physically or mentally : to cause disability in
Automobile accidents kill nearly 50,000 people each year. … Accidents maim or disable another 80,000.—
Matt Clark and Mary Hager
Diet-related Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease disable and kill people …—
Mark Bittman
2
: to deprive of legal right, qualification, or capacity
… the injured party was released from the bonds of marriage; but the offender, during life, or a term of years, was disabled from the repetition of nuptials.—
Edward Gibbon
disablement
dis-ˈā-bəl-mənt
noun
diz-ˈā-
physical disablement
Nor does it tackle the disablement of any North Korean program to enrich uranium.
—
Thomas Omestad
disabling
adjective
Bipolar disorder is one of the world's 10 most disabling conditions, taking away years of healthy functioning from individuals who have the illness.
—
David J. Kupfer
This is a rare, disabling pain disorder in which ordinary sensation such as touch, warmth and coolness are perceived as painful and minor knocks are agonizing.
—
Maia Szalavitz
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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