Hypertext Webster Gateway: "dispel"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Dispel \Dis*pel"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Dispelled}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Dispelling}.] [L. dispellere; dis- + pellere to push,
drive. See {Pulse} a beating.]
To drive away by scattering, or so to cause to vanish; to
clear away; to banish; to dissipate; as, to dispel a cloud,
vapors, cares, doubts, illusions.
[Satan] gently raised their fainting courage, and
dispelled their fears. --Milton.
I saw myself the lambent easy light Gild the brown
horror, and dispel the night. --Dryden.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
dispel
v 1: force to go away; used both with concrete and metaphoric
meanings; "Drive away potential burglars'; "drive away
bad thoughts"; "dispel doubts"; "The supermarket had to
turn back many disappointed customers" [syn: {chase away},
{drive out}, {turn back}, {drive away}, {drive off}, {run
off}]
2: to cause to separate and go in different directions, of
crowds, for example; "She waved her hand and scattered the
crows." [syn: {disperse}, {dissipate}, {break up}, {scatter}]
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