disapparate

English

Etymology

A negative back-formation from apparition, coined by J. K. Rowling.

Verb

disapparate (third-person singular simple present disapparates, present participle disapparating, simple past and past participle disapparated)

1. (intransitive) To disappear magically.

   Antonym: apparate

   • 2007 August 12, Christopher Hitchens, “Harry Potter: The Boy Who Lived”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     But again, over time and over many, many pages this scenario fails to chill: most of the “muggle” population goes about its ordinary existence, and every time the secret police close in, our heroes are able to “disapparate” — a term that always makes me think of an attempt at English by George W. Bush.

   • 2009 February 1, Catherine Bennett, “Does Labour really think John Prescott is the new Obama?”, in The Guardian‎^[2]:

     Even without Alastair Campbell's assistance, a visiting idealist can see that the simplest thing John Prescott could do, to help secure a fourth term for Labour, would be to disapparate, taking his fellow revenants with him.

Usage notes

The word was invented by J. K. Rowling in the Harry Potter books to describe a form of teleportation from one place to another, but in derived usage it often means just to disappear completely.

Translations

to disappear magically

• Finnish: kaikkoontua