displace
Definitions
To move something from its usual or proper position
使移位；挪开
To force people to leave their home, region, or country
迫使（人）离开家园；驱离
To take over the position or role of; to oust
取代；挤掉
Root Breakdown
Root-deriveddis- (away, apart) + place (a spot) = move something AWAY from its spot. The core image is being knocked out of position: water displaced by a body in a bath, people displaced from their homes by war, an old technology displaced by a newer one.
Root place still carries 10 more wordsWhy It Means This
displace lives in two very different worlds. In physics it is neutral and precise: a body displaces fluid (Archimedes' principle). In human affairs it is heavy and political: 'displaced persons' / 'internally displaced' are forced from their homes — the word carries loss. Same image (pushed out of one's spot), very different emotional weight.
Common Collocations
- 1.displaced persons流离失所者
- 2.displace water排开水
- 3.be displaced by被……取代
- 4.internally displaced境内流离失所
Example Sentences
- 1.
The flood displaced thousands of families from their homes.
- 2.
A submerged object displaces a volume of water equal to its own.
- 3.
Cheap imports gradually displaced the local manufacturers.
Easily Confused
displace vs replace — both can mean 'take the place of,' but displace emphasizes OUSTING the old occupant (forcing it out), while replace emphasizes installing the new one. Robots displace workers (workers are pushed out); robots replace workers (robots fill the role). Often interchangeable, but displace sounds more disruptive.