eject
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to force someone to leave a building or a place because they are causing trouble.
to compel a person to leave a premises or area, often due to a violation of rules or disruptive behavior.
Simple“Security had to eject the rowdy fan from the stadium during the second half.”
In context“The management reserved the right to eject any patron whose conduct interfered with the safety or enjoyment of other guests.”
UsageOften used in the passive voice when describing the person being removed.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
to make something come out of a machine, like a disc from a computer or a tape from a player.
to cause an object to be discharged or released from a mechanical device or electronic hardware.
Simple“Don't forget to eject your USB drive before you unplug it from the laptop.”
In context“The automated system failed to eject the disc, requiring a manual override to retrieve the stored data.”
UsageCommonly used as a command in software interfaces.
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
to suddenly leave a plane using a special seat, usually because the plane is going to crash.
to forcefully escape from an aircraft using an ejection seat, typically during an emergency.
Simple“The pilot was forced to eject just seconds before the plane hit the ground.”
In context“Following the engine failure, the flight crew followed emergency protocols and prepared to eject over the uninhabited forest.”
UsageOften used as an intransitive verb in aviation contexts.
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
to order a player to leave a game because they broke the rules.
to officially disqualify a player from a match and order their removal from the field of play.
Simple“The referee decided to eject the player after he started a fight on the field.”
In context“The league office reviewed the footage and upheld the official's decision to eject the defender for unsportsmanlike conduct.”
Teacher's tipIn British English, 'send off' is the standard term for this action in sports like football.
Synonymsdisqualifysend off
From Middle French éjecter, from Latin ēiectus, perfect passive participle of ēiciō (“to throw out”), or from ēiectō, the frequentative form of the same verb, from ē-, combining form of ex (“out”), + iaciō (“to throw”).
From Latin ēiectum (“(that which is) thrown out”), from ēiciō (“to throw out”) (see Etymology 1). Coined by W. K. Clifford by analogy with subject and object.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.