Words / B2

di-TACH/dɪˈtætʃ/

To detach is to separate something from what it was joined to: detach the form; a detached house (adjective: not joined). Unfasten is everyday for clips. Attach is an opposite. Exam booklets: detach the answer sheet. Do not mix with detect (find) or detain (hold).

Meaning

To separate something from what it was joined to.

Examples

• “Detach the answer sheet before you post the booklet.”
• “A detached observer is the academic tone, which is the figurative adjective.”

Good to know

detach something from. Opposite: attach. Housing: a detached house. Academic: a detached tone. Mix-up: detect / detain. Instructions and science (detach a sample).

Near in meaning

unfasten

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