release

re-lease'*, v. t. To place (as a copyrighted play, photoplay, picture, or record) on the market; to permit publication of (a story, news item, or the like) at a specified date (but not before).

re-lease'*, n. A play, record, or the like, that has been designated for release. — Webster's New International (1923), p. ci

re-lease' (rē-lēs'), v. t. [re- + lease to let.] To lease again; to grant a new lease of; to let back. — Webster's New International (1923), p. 1800

re-lease' (rê-lēs'), v. t. [RE-LEASED' (rê-lēst'); RE-LEAS'ING (-lēs'ing)] [ME. relessen, OF. relaissier to release, to let free, L. relaxare. See RELAX; cf. RE-LEASE to lease again, RELISH a taste.]

1. To loosen or destroy the force of; to remove the obligation or effect of; hence, to alleviate or remove; as, to release a statute, a sentence, pain. Obs.
2. Law. To let go or give up, as a legal claim; to discharge or relinquish a right to, as lands or tenements, by conveying to another who has some right or estate in possession, as when the person in remainder releases his right to the tenant in possession; to quit.
3. (a) To remit, as a payment, tax, etc.; to give remission for, as for sins. Obs. (b) To relax; to mitigate. Obs.
4. To let loose again; to set free from restraint, confinement, or servitude; to set at liberty; to let go.

   Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. Mark xv. 6.

5. To relieve from something that confines, burdens, or oppresses, as from pain, trouble, obligation, penalty.

Syn. RELEASE, DELIVER, DISCHARGE, LIBERATE, FREE. To RELEASE is to set free from restraint of any kind; DELIVER implies esp. release from bondage (lit. and fig.) or from impending evil of any sort; DISCHARGE, as here compared, suggests esp. legal release from custody; as, "Release me from my bands with the help of your good hands" (Shak.); "Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence" (Ps. xci. 3); to discharge a prisoner. To LIBERATE is to set at liberty; the word does not necessarily, like deliver, carry the implication of rescue from evil or peril; FREE is less formal than liberate, and often implies the granting of freedom; as, to liberate a captive, to free one's slaves. Liberate is also used in the sense of disengage, and free sometimes has the sense of rid or unburden; as, in the process certain gases were liberated; to free a gas from impurities, to free one's mind. See EMANCIPATE, FREEDOM, DELIVERANCE, SAVE. — Webster's New International (1923), p. 1800

re-lease', n. [ME. reles, OF. reles, relais, fr. relaissier. See RELEASE to let go.]

1. Deliverance or relief from care, pain, trouble, or the like.
2. Discharge from obligation or responsibility, as from a debt, penalty, or claim; a giving up or relinquishment, as of a right or claim; any act or instrument by which a legal right is discharged; specif., a conveyance of a man's right in lands or tenements to another having an estate in possession; a quitclaim. Cf. ACQUITTANCE.
3. Act of liberating or freeing, or state of being liberated or freed; liberation or discharge from restraint. "Release from hell." Milton. Also: (a) An instrument formally discharging from restraint or custody. (b) A device for letting loose or freeing (something fixed or confined).
4. Engin. The act of permitting the working fluid, as steam, to escape from the cylinder at the end of the working stroke; also, the point in the cycle of operations, or on the corresponding indicator diagram, at which this act occurs; also, the period during exhaust from the point of release (as above) to where the pressure of the exhausting fluid is sensibly that of the condenser or of the outside air.
5. Mach. A device adapted to hold or release a device or mechanism as required; specif.: Elec. A catch on a motor-starting rheostat, which automatically releases the rheostat arm and so stops the motor in case of a break in the field circuit; also, the catch on an electromagnetic circuit breaker for a motor, which acts in case of an overload.
6. Phon. The act or manner of ending a sound.
7. Railroads. In the block-signaling system, a printed card conveying information and instructions to be used at intermediate sidings or offices without telegraphic stations.

Syn. Liberation, freedom, discharge, acquittance. — Webster's New International (1923), p. 1800

Machine transcription of the scan (Haiku 5.5's re-reading where done, else the Internet Archive's OCR): read the entry image before quoting.

Release \Re·lease′, n.

1. The act of letting loose or freeing, or the state of being let loose or freed; liberation or discharge from restraint of any kind, as from confinement or bondage. "Who boast'st release from hell." —Milton.
2. Relief from care, pain, or any burden.
3. Discharge from obligation or responsibility, as from debt, penalty, or claim of any kind; acquittance.
4. (Law) A giving up or relinquishment of some right or claim; a conveyance of a man's right in lands or tenements to another who has some estate in possession; a quitclaim. —Blackstone.
5. (Steam Engine) The act of opening the exhaust port to allow the steam to escape.
6. (Mach.) A device adapted to hold or release a device or mechanism as required; specif.: (Elec.) A catch on a motor-starting rheostat, which automatically releases the rheostat arm and so stops the motor in case of a break in the field circuit; also, the catch on an electromagnetic circuit breaker for a motor, which acts in case of an overload.
7. (Phon.) The act or manner of ending a sound.
8. (Railroads) In the block-signaling system, a printed card conveying information and instructions to be used at intermediate sidings without telegraphic stations. Lease and release. (Law) See under Lease. Out of release, without cessation. [Obs.] —Chaucer. Syn. Liberation; freedom; discharge. See Death.

Release \Re·lease′, v. t. [Pref. re + lease to let.] To lease again; to grant a new lease of; to let back.

Release \Re·lease′, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Released (r?*l?st"); p. pr. & vb. n. Releasing.] [OE. relessen, OF. relassier, to release, to let free. See Relay, n., Relax, and cf. Release to lease again.]

1. To let loose again; to set free from restraint, confinement, or servitude; to give liberty to, or to set at liberty; to let go. Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. —Mark xv. 6.
2. To relieve from something that confines, burdens, or oppresses, as from pain, trouble, obligation, penalty.
3. (Law) To let go, as a legal claim; to discharge or relinquish a right to, as lands or tenements, by conveying to another who has some right or estate in possession, as when the person in remainder releases his right to the tenant in possession; to quit.
4. To loosen; to relax; to remove the obligation of; as, to release an ordinance. [Obs.] —Hooker. A sacred vow that none should aye release. —Spenser. Syn. To free; liberate; loose; discharge; disengage; extricate; let go; quit; acquit.

— Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), the [1913 Webster] text of GCIDE on dict.org

The dictionary on a 1939 desk was Webster's Second New International (1934), in copyright until 2030; the Collegiate above is its 1939 abridgment, from a local scan, and the New International of 1923 the unabridged edition before it, public domain. Webster's Revised Unabridged (1913) is the nearest public-domain dictionary online.

RELE'ASE, verb transitive 1., To set free from restraint of any kind, either physical or moral; to liberate from prison, confinement or servitude. Matthew 15:1 . Mark 15:9 . 2., To free from pain, care, trouble, grief, etc. 3., release To free from obligation or penalty; as, to release one from debt, from a promise or covenant. 4., release To quit; to let go, as a legal claim; as, to release a debt or forfeiture. Deuteronomy 15:1 . 5., To discharge or relinquish a right to lands or tenements, by conveying it to another that has some right or estate in possession, as when the person in remainder releases his right to the tenant in possession; when one co-parcener releases his right to the other; or the mortgagee releases his claim to the mortgager. 6., Not in use. To relax. [ Not in use. ] RELE'ASE, noun 1., Liberation or discharge from restraint of any kind, as from confinement or bondage. 2., Liberation from care, pain or any burden. 3., Discharge from obligation or responsibility, as from debt, penalty or claim of any kind; acquittance. 4., release In law, a release or deed of release is a conveyance of a man's right in lands or tenements to another who has some estate in possession; a quitclaim. The efficient words in such an instrument are, 'remised, released, and forever quitclaimed.' — Webster's 1828

• noun 1: merchandise issued for sale or public showing (especially a record or film) — “a new release from the London Symphony Orchestra”
• noun 2: the act of liberating someone or something [syn: liberation, release, freeing]
• noun 3: a process that liberates or discharges something — “there was a sudden release of oxygen”
• noun 4: an announcement distributed to members of the press in order to supplement or replace an oral presentation [syn: handout, press release, release]
• noun 5: the termination of someone's employment (leaving them free to depart) [syn: dismissal, dismission, discharge, firing, liberation, release, sack, sacking]
• noun 6: euphemistic expressions for death — “thousands mourned his passing” [syn: passing, loss, departure, exit, expiration, going, release]
• noun 7: a legal document evidencing the discharge of a debt or obligation [syn: acquittance, release]
• noun 8: a device that when pressed will release part of a mechanism [syn: release, button]
• noun 9: activity that frees or expresses creative energy or emotion — “she had no other outlet for her feelings” [syn: release, outlet, vent]
• noun 10: the act of allowing a fluid to escape [syn: spill, spillage, release]
• noun 11: a formal written statement of relinquishment [syn: release, waiver, discharge]
• noun 12: (music) the act or manner of terminating a musical phrase or tone [syn: release, tone ending]
• verb 1: release, as from one's grip — “Let go of the door handle, please!” [syn: let go of, let go, release, relinquish] [ant: hold, take hold]
• verb 2: grant freedom to; free from confinement [syn: free, liberate, release, unloose, unloosen, loose] [ant: confine, detain]
• verb 3: let (something) fall or spill from a container — “turn the flour onto a plate” [syn: turn, release]
• verb 4: prepare and issue for public distribution or sale — “publish a magazine or newspaper” [syn: publish, bring out, put out, issue, release]
• verb 5: eliminate (a substance) — “combustion products are exhausted in the engine” [syn: exhaust, discharge, expel, eject, release]
• verb 6: generate and separate from cells or bodily fluids — “secrete digestive juices” [syn: secrete, release]
• verb 7: make (information) available for publication — “release the list with the names of the prisoners” [syn: free, release]
• verb 8: part with a possession or right — “I am relinquishing my bedroom to the long-term house guest” [syn: release, relinquish, resign, free, give up]
• verb 9: release (gas or energy) as a result of a chemical reaction or physical decomposition [syn: release, free, liberate]
• verb 10: make (assets) available — “release the holdings in the dictator's bank account” [syn: unblock, unfreeze, free, release] [ant: block, freeze, immobilise, immobilize]

— WordNet 3.0 on dict.org