These words refer to the moving of objects or materials from one point to another. Send is the least formal and the most general of these words, carrying no implications about what is sent or how: sending ma answer by return mail; sending half-a-dozen trunks ahead by boat. With send , the movement is viewed specifically from the point of origin rather than from its destination: wondering if he ever received the letter I sent a month ago.

Dispatch suggests urgency or speed: dispatching three fire engines to combat the blaze; dispatching a messenger who would give them the news before sundown. The word may also suggest a central agent who assigns vehicles to specific tasks: dispatching a fleet of taxis by radio to all points in the city. With deliver , the movement of an object can be viewed exclusively in terms of the point of destination: Until the advent of the semi-trailer, most manufactured goods were delivered to country areas by rail. But in the context of retail selling, the word is often synonymous with send : dealing only with stores that deliver ; asking that they deliver the groceries in an hour.

Forward and transmit imply a movement that is less than direct, for varying reasons. Forward suggests an intermediate or incorrect destination from which the object must then travel to its ultimate goal: a variety of Russian goods that are forwarded through Sweden; forwarding the letter to his new address. Transmit may suggest the sending of the contents or equivalent of a document or thing, rather than the original itself: transmitting the details of the high-level conference to the Prime Minister himself; transmitting the message by ship-to-shore telephone. Ship indicates the moving of produce or effects by sea, air, rail or truck. It now usually suggests a commercial operation and, if effects are involved, transportation that is unaccompanied by the owner himself: leaving our furniture to be shipped after us; goods scheduled to be shipped by rail or road transport.