divest

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: di=vest

OXFORD DICTIONARY

divest, v.tr.
1 (usu. foll. by of; often refl.) unclothe; strip (divested himself of his jacket).
2 deprive, dispossess; free, rid (cannot divest himself of the idea).

Derivative

divestiture n. divestment n. divesture n.

Etymology

earlier devest f. OF desvestir etc. (as DIS-, L vestire f. vestis garment)

THESAURUS

divest

abridge, bankrupt, bare, bereave, bleed, bleed white, curtail, cut off, denudate, denude, deplume, deprive, deprive of, despoil, disencumber, disentitle, disinherit, dismantle, displume, dispossess, disrobe, doff, drain, dry, ease one of, exhaust, expose, flay, fleece, impoverish, lay bare, lay open, lighten one of, lose, milk, mine, mulct, oust, pick clean, pluck, plunder, put off, relieve, remove, rid, rob, shear, skin, spoil, strip, strip bare, suck dry, take away from, take from, take off, tap, uncloak, unclothe, uncover, undress, unsheathe, unveil

ROGET THESAURUS

divest

Taking

VB take, catch, hook, nab, bag, sack, pocket, put into one's pocket, receive, accept, reap, crop, cull, pluck, gather, draw, appropriate, expropriate, impropriate, assume, possess oneself of, take possession of, commandeer, lay one's hands on, clap one's hands on, help oneself to, make free with, dip one's hands into, lay under contribution, intercept, scramble for, deprive of, take away, carry away, bear away, take off, carry off, bear off, adeem, abstract, hurry off with, run away with, abduct, steal, ravish, seize, pounce upon, spring upon, swoop to, swoop down upon, take by storm, take by assault, snatch, reave, snap up, nip up, whip up, catch up, kidnap, crimp, capture, lay violent hands on, get hold of, lay hold of, take hold of, catch hold of, lay fast hold of, take firm hold of, lay by the heels, take prisoner, fasten upon, grip, grapple, embrace, gripe, clasp, grab, clutch, collar, throttle, take by the throat, claw, clinch, clench, make sure of, catch at, jump at, make a grab at, snap at, snatch at, reach, make a long arm, stretch forth one's hand, take from, take away from, disseize, deduct, retrench, dispossess, ease one of, snatch from one's grasp, tear from, tear away from, wrench from, wrest from, wring from, extort, deprive of, bereave, disinherit, cut off with a shilling, oust, divest, levy, distrain, confiscate, sequester, sequestrate, accroach, usurp, despoil, strip, fleece, shear, displume, impoverish, eat out of house and home, drain, drain to the dregs, gut, dry, exhaust, swallow up, absorb, draw off, suck the blood of, suck like a leech, retake, resume, recover.

Divestment

VB divest, uncover &c (cover), denude, bare, strip, disfurnish, undress, disrobe &c (dress, enrobe), uncoif, dismantle, put off, take off, cast off, doff, peel, pare, decorticate, excoriate, skin, scalp, flay, expose, lay open, exfoliate, molt, mew, cast the skin.