ENGLISH
REFERENCE

disappearing

v. · n.
US //ˌdɪsəˈpiɹɪŋ// UK //dˌɪsɐpˈiəɹɪŋ// dis·ap·pear·ing
  1. 1 vanishing from sight (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    going away so that you can no longer see it.

    the process of ceasing to be visible; the progressive aspect of vanishing from a physical location.

    Example

    The sun was disappearing behind the mountains as we drove home.

    Example

    The small boat was rapidly disappearing into the thick morning mist, leaving the onlookers on the pier unable to track its progress.
    Pitfall
    The magician was dissapearing.
    The magician was disappearing.

    Be careful with the spelling: it has one 's' and two 'p's.

  2. 2 ceasing to exist (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    slowly stopping to exist or being lost forever.

    the gradual process of becoming extinct, lost, or no longer present in a particular environment.

    Example

    Many traditional languages are disappearing because fewer young people speak them.

    Example

    Conservationists are deeply concerned about disappearing habitats, noting that several local species have already been forced into smaller, fragmented territories.
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  1. 3 the act of vanishing (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the event of someone or something going away suddenly.

    the act or instance of a person or thing vanishing; used as a gerund to denote the event itself.

    Example

    The mysterious disappearing of the cookies from the jar upset the children.

    Example

    The sudden disappearing of the lead witness caused the entire legal case to collapse before the trial could even begin.

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