disperse

To disperse is defined as to break up and spread in many directions.

(verb)

An example of to disperse is when people in a crowd walk away from each other.
An example of to disperse is when light through a prism is broken up into the colors of the rainbow.

The definition of disperse is to cause to vanish.

(verb)

An example of to disperse is when fog is blown away by wind.

See disperse in Webster's New World College Dictionary

Origin: 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

Related Forms:

See disperse in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb dis·persed, dis·pers·ing, dis·pers·es

verb, transitive

a. To drive off or scatter in different directions: The police dispersed the crowd.
b. To strew or distribute widely: The airplane dispersed the leaflets over the city.
To cause to vanish or disappear. See Synonyms at scatter.
To disseminate (knowledge, for example).
To separate (light) into spectral rays.
To distribute (particles) evenly throughout a medium.

verb, intransitive

To separate and move in different directions; scatter: The crowd dispersed once the concert ended.
To break up and vanish; dissipate: The storm clouds had dispersed by noon.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English dispersen

Origin: , from Old French disperser

Origin: , from Latin dispergere, dispers-, to disperse

Origin: : dis-, apart; see dis-

Origin: + spargere, to scatter

Related Forms: