deactivate \de*ac"ti*vate\, v. t. 1. To make inactive; to render ineffective; as, to deactivate a bomb; to deactivate a machine; to deactivate the alarm.
Note: The deactivation of a machine or device is usually a reversible process; switching off an electrical device may be referred to as deactivation. To render an enzyme or catalyst ineffective is more commonly referred to as to {inactivate}. [PJC]
2. To disband (a military unit, or other group); to discontinue (a group activity); as, to deactivate the regiment; to deactivate the investigation. [PJC]
The Air Force has decided to deactivate three of its 38 tactical fighter wings after concluding that the current budget will support only 35 wings, each of which consists of 72 fighter aircraft.
There is ABS (anti-lock braking), though the same unreconstructed Ferrari buyer can deactivate it at the flick of a switch. The gear change has been smoothed.
Yugoslavia's federal presidency charged that Slovenia was violating a day-old peace accord by failing to lift a blockade of army units, continuing to hold police prisoners and failing to deactivate territorial defense units.
The Air Force will deactivate two fighter wings and start deactivating a third.
Laboratory studies, Mr. Sternglass says, have shown that free radicals become more efficient cell destroyers at low radiation concentrations; at high concentrations, they collide and "deactivate" one another.
Any measure to remove, deactivate or bypass the chip would be illegal.
She drank a radioactive iodine solution to deactivate her thyroid gland, which was producing excess levels of hormones.
Workers must deactivate fuel cells, photograph tile damage and replace gouged tiles, purge main engines and orbital maneuvering engines, and attach locks to prevent control flaps from fluttering during the piggyback flight.