[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/uncouple.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / uncouple

[← U](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/U/)

# uncouple

«uncouple» in Mova's school dictionary: **To separate two things that were joined, especially…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

verb (uncouple, uncouples, uncoupled, uncoupling)

### meaning for a pupil

1) To separate two things that were joined, especially railway carriages, a trailer from a car, or wagons. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/uncouple/#m1)

2) (formal) To separate two ideas or things that were linked. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/uncouple/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In everyday life and stories about trains, workers uncouple carriages at the station. In farming, a tractor uncouples a trailer. In formal language, to uncouple two things means treat them separately.

### examples

- The workers uncoupled the last carriage. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/uncouple/#x1)
- Dad uncoupled the caravan from the car. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/uncouple/#x2)
- The engine was uncoupled and moved to the other end of the train. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/uncouple/#x3)
- The farmer uncoupled the trailer in the field. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/uncouple/#x4)
- The plan uncouples pay from hours worked. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/uncouple/#x5)
- Never try to uncouple wagons yourself — it's dangerous. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/uncouple/#x6)

### note

Built from un- (undo) + couple (join). Opposite: couple, hitch, attach.

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «uncouple» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/uncouple/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.