Jonm
Established Member
Interesting, I have always used them interchangeably. I looked up the origin of dismantle as followsDisassemble = to take apart with a view to being able to reassemble.
Dismantle = take apart often by brute force without a requirement to put back together.
dismantle (v.)
1570s, "deprive or strip of fortifications or equipment, raze, destroy, tear down," from French desmanteler "to tear down the walls of a fortress," literally "strip of a cloak," from des- "off, away" (see dis-) + manteler "to cloak," from mantel "cloak" (see mantle (n.)). The literal sense, "deprive of dress, strip" (c. 1600) is archaic or obsolete in English. Related: Dismantled; dismantling.
So the origin of the word is to take apart and destroy. However with use it’s meaning has changed somewhat but the implication is that the item will not be put back together ie dismantled railway, car dismantler etc.
So full marks to Droogs for his careful choice of words.