detachment
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English
Etymology
From French détachement. By surface analysis, detach + -ment.
Pronunciation
Noun
detachment (countable and uncountable, plural detachments)
- (uncountable) The action of detaching; separation.
- 1944 November and December, T. F. Cameron, “Motor and Cartage Working”, in Railway Magazine, page 335:
- But the horse has left his mark, for his successor is a mechanical horse designed to a large extent to copy the leading characteristics of the live horse; easy attachment to or detachment from its load, a small turning circle, a small appetite for petrol, but giving a much higher acceleration and speed, and so capable of much greater distances, so that fewer cartage units are required.
- (uncountable) The state of being detached or disconnected; insulation.
- (uncountable) Indifference to the concerns of others; disregard; nonchalance; aloofness.
- (uncountable) Absence of bias; impartiality; objectivity.
- (uncountable, military) The separation of a military unit from the main body for a particular purpose or special mission.
- (countable, military) The unit so dispatched.
- 1958, A. V. H. Hartendorp, History of Industry and Trade of the Philippines: The Magsaysay Administration, →OCLC, page 218:
- Vietnamese sovereignty over the Paracels dated back at least to the early 19th century, when Emperor Gia-Long sent a detachment to Hoang Sa Island, it remained until the establishment of French protectorate over Annam, when France assumed responsibility for the islands.
- (countable, military) A permanent unit organized for special duties.
- (countable) Any smaller portion of a main body separately employed.
Derived terms
Translations
separation
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indifference
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impartiality
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military unit
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