discontinue

/dɪskənˈtɪnjuː/dih-skuhn-TIN-yoo

/dɪskənˈtɪnju/dih-skuhn-TIN-yoo

Meaningto stop holding together

Common meaning: to stop doing, making or providing

disapart, away; not
conwith, together; thoroughly
tinto hold, keep hold ofLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1853 · scan
uespelling ending (via French)

‘apart, away’ + ‘with, together’ + ‘to hold, keep hold of’ → discontinue

Journey through time

Latinteneō, tenuī, tentum‘to hold, keep hold of’
Frenchcontinuer
Englishdiscontinue‘to stop doing, making or providing’ · today

dis- also in: disarm discern discord disdain disgust

con- also in: convex convey concave conceal concede

tin also in: discontent pertinacious supercontinent discontinuation

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin teneō ‘to hold, keep hold of’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry teneō, p. 1853 · dictionary scan

Roots

teneō, tenuī, tentum Latin “to hold, keep hold of”

Related words

abstain detain discontent discontinuation obtain pertinacious rein supercontinent sustain

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