Definition: dissociate

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Source: WordNet (r) 1.7 

dissociate
     v 1: part; cease or break association with; "She disassociated
          herself from the organization when she found out the
          identity of the president" [syn: disassociate, divorce,
           disunite, disjoint]
     2: regard as unconnected; "you must dissociate these two
        events!" [ant: associate]
     3: (chemistry) to undergo a reversible or temporary breakdown
        of a molecule into simpler molecules or atoms; "acids
        dissociate to give hydrogen ions"

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) 

Dissociate \Dis*so"ci*ate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dissociated;
   p. pr. & vb. n. Dissociating.] [L. dissociatus, p. p. of
   dissociare to dissociate; dis- + sociare to unite, associate,
   socius companion. See Social.]
   To separate from fellowship or union; to disunite; to
   disjoin; as, to dissociate the particles of a concrete
   substance.

         Before Wyclif's death in 1384, John of Gaunt had openly
         dissociated himself from the reformer.   --A. W. Ward.