afwerpen

Afwerpen is a Dutch verb meaning to throw off, drop, shed, or discard. It is formed from the prefix af- attached to werpen (to throw) and conveys a sense of detachment or removal. The term is used in both literal and figurative contexts and across different domains.

In literal sense, afwerpen often refers to releasing payloads from aircraft. In military and aviation contexts, it describes jettisoning munitions, fuel, or supplies: for example, bommen afwerpen means to drop bombs. Outside military usage, afwerpen can describe physically dropping objects from a height or releasing something carried by a vehicle or device.

In biology and ecology, afwerpen is used for shedding material. Trees shed leaves in autumn, and animals molt fur or feathers; in these cases one speaks of bladeren afwerpen or vacht afwerpen.

In figurative and broader usage, afwerpen can mean to discard, abandon, or reject something, such as a plan, idea, or belief. For instance, een voorstel afwerpen would imply discarding a proposal. The term often carries a sense of deliberate removal or rejection, not merely cessation.

Grammatically, afwerpen is a separable prefix verb in many sentence constructions, and its past participle is afgeworpen. For example: De bommen zijn afgeworpen; de bladeren worden afgeworpen. This reflects its combination of a core verb (werpen) and the detachable prefix (af-).