discharge
n. C / Un. the act of officially letting someone leave a place like a hospital, the army, or a court. It can also mean a liquid or gas that flows out from something.
n. the official release or dismissal of an individual from a formal institution, such as a hospital or military service. Also refers to the emission of a substance, such as a liquid or gas, from a confined space.
The patient is waiting for her discharge papers.
After the doctor confirmed his recovery was complete, the hospital processed his discharge so he could return home.
The environmental agency monitored the industrial discharge into the river to ensure the factory complied with strict waste management protocols.
From Middle English dischargen, from Old French deschargier (“to unload”), from Late Latin discarricāre (“unload”). By surface analysis, dis- + charge.
Uncountable when referring to the general process of release; countable when referring to specific instances or types of emitted substances.