(v) sell (art works) from a collection, especially in order to raise money for the purchase of other art works, Example: The museum deaccessioned several important works of this painter
v. t. [ de- + accession. Ca. 1970. ] to sell (artwork); -- used of sales of art by museums. The word appears to have been coined as a euphemism to avoid the negative connotations of the word “sell”, particularly for works donated by benefactors. The practise is justified as a means of acquiring funds for purchase of more valuable artworks. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]