dis·perse

[dih-spurs] verb, dis·persed, dis·pers·ing, adjective
verb (used with object)
1.
to drive or send off in various directions; scatter: to disperse a crowd.
2.
to spread widely; disseminate: to disperse knowledge.
3.
to dispel; cause to vanish: The wind dispersed the fog.
4.
Physical Chemistry. to cause (particles) to separate uniformly throughout a solid, liquid, or gas.
5.
Optics. to subject (light) to dispersion.
verb (used without object)
6.
to separate and move apart in different directions without order or regularity; become scattered: The crowd dispersed.
7.
to be dispelled; be scattered out of sight; vanish: The smoke dispersed into the sky.
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the customs and regulations dealing with diplomatic formality, precedence, and etiquette.
financial, marketing, fiscal, budgetary, economic, monetary
adjective
8.
Physical Chemistry. noting the dispersed particles in a dispersion.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English dispersen, disparsen (< Middle French disperser) < Latin dispersus (past participle of dispergere), equivalent to di- di-2 + -sper(g)- scatter (stem of -spergere, combining form of spargere to scatter, strew) + -sus past participle suffix

dis·pers·ed·ly [dih-spur-sid-lee] , adverb
dis·pers·er, noun
dis·pers·i·bil·i·ty, noun
dis·pers·i·ble, adjective
pre·dis·perse, verb (used with object), pre·dis·persed, pre·dis·pers·ing.
re·dis·perse, verb, re·dis·persed, re·dis·pers·ing.
un·dis·persed, adjective
un·dis·pers·ing, adjective
well-dis·persed, adjective

1. disburse, disperse ; 2. disperse, disburse, dispose.


1. See scatter. 2. sow, broadcast. 7. disappear, evanesce.


1. combine, collect.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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World English Dictionary
disperse (dɪˈspɜːs) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
vb
1.  to scatter; distribute over a wide area
2.  to dissipate or cause to dissipate
3.  to leave or cause to leave a gathering, often in a random manner
4.  to separate or be separated by dispersion
5.  (tr) to diffuse or spread (news, information, etc)
6.  to separate (particles) throughout a solid, liquid, or gas, as in the formation of a suspension or colloid
 
adj
7.  of or consisting of the particles in a colloid or suspension: disperse phase
 
[C14: from Latin dispērsus scattered, from dispergere to scatter widely, from di-² + spargere to strew]
 
 
dispersedly
 
adv
 
dis'perser
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

disperse
mid-15c., from M.Fr. disperser "scatter," from L. dispersus, pp. of dispergere "to scatter," from dis- "apart, in every direction" + spargere "to scatter" (see sparse). The L. word is glossed in O.E. by tostregdan. Related: Dispersed; dispersing.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

disperse dis·perse (dĭ-spûrs')
v. dis·persed, dis·pers·ing, dis·pers·es

  1. To cause to separate and move in different directions; scatter.

  2. To cause to vanish or disappear.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Example sentences
They're small enough that they disperse into the ocean, where they stay
  suspended.
Unlike greenhouse gases, which quickly disperse in the atmosphere, soot
  congregates above and downwind of its sources.
Every so often, the chimp would pick up a stone and chuck it toward the crowd,
  causing it to disperse.
Just before serving, pile the potatoes into a bowl and season with salt,
  tossing to disperse the seasoning.
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