disperse
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About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.dis·perse
verb \di-ˈspərs\dis·perseddis·pers·ing
Definition of DISPERSE
transitive verb
1
a : to cause to break up <police dispersed the crowd> b : to cause to become spread widely c : to cause to evaporate or vanish <sunlight dispersing the mist>
2
: to spread or distribute from a fixed or constant source: as a archaic : disseminate b : to subject (as light) to dispersion c : to distribute (as fine particles) more or less evenly throughout a medium
intransitive verb
1
: to break up in random fashion <the crowd dispersed on request>
2
— dis·persed·ly \-ˈspər-səd-lē, -ˈspərst-lē\ adverb
— dis·pers·er noun
— dis·pers·ible \-ˈspər-sə-bəl\ adjective
See Examples of DISPERSE
- Police ordered the crowd to disperse.
- <the crowd dispersed once the show ended>
Origin of DISPERSE
Middle English, from Latin dispersus, past participle of dispergere to scatter, from dis- + spargere to scatter — more at spark
First Known Use: 14th century
Related to DISPERSE
- Synonyms
- disassemble, dissipate, dissolve, scatter
- Antonyms
- assemble, cluster, collect, concentrate, congregate, gather, ingather
See Synonym Discussion at scatter
dis·perse
verb \dis-ˈpərs\ (Medical Dictionary)dis·persed; dis·pers·ing
Medical Definition of DISPERSE
transitive verb
: to spread or distribute from a fixed or constant source: as a : to subject (as light) to dispersion b : to distribute (as fine particles) more or less evenly throughout a medium
intransitive verb
: to become dispersed
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