desatar

v.

1 to untie (nudo, lazo).

Elsa desató los zapatos del chico Elsa untied the boy's shoes.

2 to unleash.

Su mala actitud desató la furia His bad attitude unleashed the fury.

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desatar

► verbo transitivo

1 (soltar - gen) to untie, undo, unfasten; (- perro etc) to let loose

■ desató un paquete she undid a parcel

■ desata al perro let the dog loose

2 figurado (desencadenar) to spark off, give rise to; (pasiones) to unleash

■ su dimisión desató la polémica en el seno del partido his resignation sparked off a dispute within the party

► verbo pronominal desatarse

1 (soltarse) to come untied, come undone, come unfastened

2 figurado (desencadenarse) to break, explode

■ se desató una gran tormenta a great storm broke

■ se desató su alegría she exploded with happiness

\

FRASEOLOGÍA

desatarse en to lash out with

■ se desató en insultos he lashed out with a stream of insults

desatarse la lengua to loosen one's tongue

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verb

1) to untie, undo

2) trigger

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1. VT

1) [+ nudo, cuerda, cordones] to untie, undo

desátate los zapatos — untie o undo your shoelaces

desata el paquete y saca el regalo — untie o undo the parcel and take out the present

no consiguió desatar al prisionero — he couldn't manage to untie the prisoner

la bebida le desató la lengua — the drink loosened his tongue

2) (=desencadenar) [+ guerra, crisis] to trigger, spark (off); [+ sentimiento, pasión] to unleash

las nuevas medidas han desatado una ola de atentados — the new measures have triggered o sparked (off) a wave of attacks

sus palabras desataron una intensa polémica — his words sparked (off) o unleashed a storm of controversy

3) (=disolver) to dissolve

4) †

desatar un compromiso — to break an agreement

2.

See:

desatarse

* * *

1.

verbo transitivo

1)

a) <nudo/lazo> to untie, undo

b) <persona> to untie; <perro> to let ... loose, let ... off the leash

2) (desencadenar)

a) (liter) <cólera/pasiones> to unleash

b) <crisis/revuelta> to spark off; <polémica> to provoke, give rise to

2.

desatarse v pron

1)

a) nudo/cordones to come undone o untied; perro/caballo to get loose

b) (refl) persona to untie oneself; <cordones/zapatos> to untie, undo

2) (desencadenarse)

a) (liter) pasiones/ira/furia to be unleashed

b) polémica/crisis to erupt, flare up; revuelta to break out

c) tormenta/temporal to break

* * *

= undo, spark, unleash, unwind, set off, untie.

Ex. The National Library of Estonia, established in 1918, is undergoing a revolutionary period of undoing the effects of the cultural policies of the communist regime.

Ex. The nineteenth century was, quite rightly, fearful of any system of spreading knowledge which might spark the tinder box of unrest.

Ex. The economic climate of the 1980s, unleashing competitive forces and threatening the survival of some institutions, has had a major impact on both hospitals and academic health centres.

Ex. Short wedges, or quoins, were then put in between the long wedges and the inside of the chase, loosely at first so that the string with which the pages were tied up could be unwound and removed.

Ex. The dollar has been losing value, weakening its status as the world's major currency and setting off jitters in the international financial system.

Ex. Bridling a horse safely starts with untying the horse.

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* desatarse = come + undone, come + loose.

* desatar una crisis = precipitate + crisis, precipitate + crisis.

* desatar una guerra = precipitate + war.

* desatar un nudo = untie + knot.

* * *

1.

verbo transitivo

1)

a) <nudo/lazo> to untie, undo

b) <persona> to untie; <perro> to let ... loose, let ... off the leash

2) (desencadenar)

a) (liter) <cólera/pasiones> to unleash

b) <crisis/revuelta> to spark off; <polémica> to provoke, give rise to

2.

desatarse v pron

1)

a) nudo/cordones to come undone o untied; perro/caballo to get loose

b) (refl) persona to untie oneself; <cordones/zapatos> to untie, undo

2) (desencadenarse)

a) (liter) pasiones/ira/furia to be unleashed

b) polémica/crisis to erupt, flare up; revuelta to break out

c) tormenta/temporal to break

* * *

= undo, spark, unleash, unwind, set off, untie.

Ex: The National Library of Estonia, established in 1918, is undergoing a revolutionary period of undoing the effects of the cultural policies of the communist regime.

Ex: The nineteenth century was, quite rightly, fearful of any system of spreading knowledge which might spark the tinder box of unrest.

Ex: The economic climate of the 1980s, unleashing competitive forces and threatening the survival of some institutions, has had a major impact on both hospitals and academic health centres.

Ex: Short wedges, or quoins, were then put in between the long wedges and the inside of the chase, loosely at first so that the string with which the pages were tied up could be unwound and removed.

Ex: The dollar has been losing value, weakening its status as the world's major currency and setting off jitters in the international financial system.

Ex: Bridling a horse safely starts with untying the horse.

* desatarse = come + undone, come + loose.

* desatar una crisis = precipitate + crisis, precipitate + crisis.

* desatar una guerra = precipitate + war.

* desatar un nudo = untie + knot.

* * *

desatar [A1 ]

vt

A

1 ‹nudo/lazo› to untie, undo

2 ‹persona› to untie; ‹perro› to let … loose, let … off the leash

B (desencadenar)

1 (liter); ‹cólera/pasiones› to unleash

2 ‹crisis› to spark off, trigger, precipitate (frml); ‹revuelta› to cause, spark off; ‹polémica› to provoke, give rise to

han desatado una campaña de ataques contra ella they have launched a campaign of attacks against her

■ desatarse

v pron

A

1 «nudo/lazo/cordones» to come undone o untied; «perro/caballo» to get loose

2 (refl) «persona» to untie oneself

3 (refl) «persona» ‹cordones/zapatos› to untie, undo

B (desencadenarse)

1 (liter); ‹pasiones/ira/furia› to be unleashed, be let loose

los nervios se desataron tempers flared

2

«persona»: se desató en insultos contra nosotros he let fly at us with a string of insults

3 «polémica/crisis» to erupt, flare up; «revuelta» to break out

una ola de violencia se ha desatado en todo el país a wave of violence has broken out throughout the country

4 «tormenta/temporal» to break

* * *

desatar (conjugate desatar) verbo transitivo

a) ‹nudo/lazo› to untie, undo

b) ‹persona› to untie;

‹perro› to let … loose
desatarse verbo pronominal

a) [nudo/cordones] to come undone o untied;

[perro/caballo] to get loose

b) (refl) [persona] to untie oneself;

‹cordones/zapatos› to untie, undo
desatar verbo transitivo
1 to untie, undo
2 (provocar, desencadenar) to unleash: la medida desató la indignación de los trabajadores, the measure drove the workers to a state of indignation
'desatar' also found in these entries:
Spanish:
soltar
English:
draw out
- loosen
- spark off
- unfasten
- unleash
- untie
- loose
- undo

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desatar

♦ vt

1. [nudo, lazo] to untie;

[paquete] to undo

2. [animal] to unleash;

[persona] to untie

3. [tormenta, ira, pasión] to unleash;

[entusiasmo] to arouse; [motín, disturbios, protestas] to spark off, to trigger; [lengua] to loosen;

la decisión desató una ola de manifestaciones the decision set off o triggered a wave of demonstrations;

su dimisión desató la crisis de gobierno his resignation triggered o precipitated the governmental crisis

♦ See also the pronominal verb desatarse

* * *

desatar

v/t untie; fig

unleash

* * *

desatar vt

1) : to undo, to untie

2) : to unleash

3) : to trigger, to precipitate

♦ See also the reflexive verb desatarse

* * *

desatar vb

1. (persona, cuerda, cordones) to untie

2. (paquete, nudo, lazo) to undo [pt. undid; pp. undone]

3. (perro) to let off the lead [pt. & pp. let]