Definition of disperse
dispersed
;dispersing
transitive verb
1a : to cause to break up (see break up 1a) police dispersed the crowdb : to cause to become spread widely disperse the troopsc : to cause to evaporate or vanish sunlight dispersing the mist
2 : to spread or distribute from a fixed or constant source: such asa archaic : disseminate disperse the newsb physics : to subject to dispersion (see dispersion 4) disperse lightc chemistry : to distribute (something, such as fine particles) more or less evenly throughout a medium
intransitive verb
1 : to break up in random fashion the crowd dispersed on request
2a : to become dispersed the particles dispersed throughout the mixtureb : dissipate, vanish the fog dispersed toward morning
disperser
nounExplore M-W
Examples of disperse in a Sentence
Police ordered the crowd to disperse.
the crowd dispersed once the show ended
Recent Examples of disperse from the Web
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Officials said a majority of the money collected in the TIF district has been dispersed among Oak Park's taxing bodies since the agreement was reached.
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On May 4, police fired tear gas to disperse tobacco farmers protesting non-payment and hazardous living conditions at auction floors.
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With nearly 600 flights canceled and luggage unable to be dispersed, images and horror stories quickly coursed through social media.
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The huge crowds that gathered for the original unveiling were dispersed by an untimely deluge of a thunderstorm, and the long oration by Charles E. Fenner had to be delivered indoors.
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After the rally, eight teams will disperse to perform 100 acts of kindness throughout the Southland.
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Additionally, military service is concentrated rather than dispersed across society, Pew reported: veterans are more likely than the general public to have relatives who also were in the armed forces.
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City crews used pumps to disperse the water back into the harbor and placed sandbags where the seawall cap used to be to ward off further flooding.
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After the Phoenix Police arrested seven people and dispersed the crowd, ICE took her to Nogales, Mexico.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'disperse'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of disperse
Middle English, from Latin dispersus, past participle of dispergere to scatter, from dis- + spargere to scatter — more at spark
Synonym Discussion of disperse
DISPERSE Defined for English Language Learners
disperse
playDefinition of disperse for English Language Learners
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: to go or move in different directions : to spread apart
DISPERSE Defined for Kids
disperse
playDefinition of disperse for Students
dispersed
;dispersing
: to break up and scatter The clouds dispersed.
Medical Dictionary
disperse
playMedical Definition of disperse
dispersed
;dispersing
transitive verb
: to spread or distribute from a fixed or constant source: asa: to subject (as light) to dispersionb: to distribute (as fine particles) more or less evenly throughout a mediumintransitive verb
: to become dispersed
Learn More about disperse
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See words that rhyme with disperse Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for disperse Spanish Central: Translation of disperse Nglish: Translation of disperse for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of disperse for Arabic speakers
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