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disperse Definition

dis·perse (di spʉrs′)

transitive verb -·persed′, -·pers′·ing

  1. to break up and scatter in all directions; spread about; distribute widely
  2. to dispel (mist, etc.)
  3. to break up (light) into its component colored rays

Etymology: ME dispersen < L dispersus, pp. of dispergere, to scatter abroad < dis-, out + spargere, to scatter, strew: see spark

intransitive verb

to break up and move in different directions; scatter

disperse Related Forms

dis·pers′er noun dis·pers′·ible adjective

disperse Synonyms

disperse

v.

scatter, break up, separate, disband; see scatter 1, 2. See syn. study at scatter.

disperse Usage Examples

Object

  • farmstead: The area has a planned and settled appearance with a number of dispersed farmsteads.
  • rioter: For the fourth night in succession troops in Belfast use CS gas to disperse rioters at Ballymurphy.
  • mob: The vehicle was jostled as police moved in to disperse the mob.
  • seeker: Her current research explores the impacts of the current policy to disperse asylum seekers in the UK.
  • spore: The flies disperse the spores when they leave and go elsewhere.
  • crowd: The police made some arrests and tried to disperse the crowd with tear gas.

Subject

wind: The seed are dispersed by the wind on a pappus which develops from the petals.

Preposition: into

atmosphere: These substances are volatile, and the assumption has generally been that they would vaporize on disposal and thus get dispersed into the atmosphere.

Modifying Another Word

  • geographically: They are held in geographically dispersed archives offices in England.
  • widely: The marks were slightly more widely dispersed than last year.
  • evenly: Then spray or sprinkle the patch adjusting your pace to ensure the volume is evenly dispersed.
  • globally: The furniture was dispersed globally, tho the most important of the books in the library did go to the National Museum of Scotland.
  • forcibly: The Kosovo Albanians were forced to go to a nearby school and then they were forcibly dispersed into nearby villages.
  • uniformly: Ring material, if unrestrained, will tend to disperse uniformly around the planet.

Followed by a transitive particle

around: Such arts venues as we have are scattered and dispersed around the city.

Used with why or when

when: The messy little beasts wipe their excreta on their wings and the brochosomes are dispersed when it dries and they fly.

Preposition: in

direction: So we sort of dispersed in different directions " .

Preposition: by

  • wind: The seed are dispersed by the wind on a pappus which develops from the petals.
  • police: Nevertheless, pro-democracy rallies were forcibly dispersed by riot police.
  • bird: The seeds are dispersed by birds, which eat the berries.