disperse

[dih-spurs] /dɪˈspɜrs/
verb (used with object), dispersed, dispersing.
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), dispersed, dispersing.
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.
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
Related forms
dispersedly
[dih-spur-sid-lee] /dɪˈspɜr sɪd li/ (Show IPA), adverb
disperser, noun
dispersibility, noun
dispersible, adjective
predisperse, verb (used with object), predispersed, predispersing.
redisperse, verb, redispersed, redispersing.
undispersed, adjective
undispersing, adjective
well-dispersed, adjective
Can be confused
disperse, disburse.
disperse, dispose.
Synonyms
1. See scatter. 2. sow, broadcast. 7. disappear, evanesce.
Antonyms
1. combine, collect.
Examples from the web for disperse
  • Protective padding, clothing, and helmets disperse the impact of falls.
  • Campus officers called in the Lewiston police for assistance, but some partiers still refused to disperse.
  • Police had to disperse them.
  • Just before serving, pile the potatoes into a bowl and season with salt, tossing to disperse the seasoning.
  • Little by little they disperse, walking down a long causeway to where their cars are parked.
  • She gives the soup a stir every now and then to disperse its flavor.
  • They might be bringing candidates in before faculty disperse for summer.
  • After the cleanup, the guests were expected to quickly disperse until next year.
  • Regardless, you will always have less money to disperse than you would like.
  • The police then used more tear gas and a water cannon to disperse them once again.
British Dictionary definitions for disperse

disperse

/dɪˈspɜːs/
verb
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.
(transitive) 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
adjective
7.
of or consisting of the particles in a colloid or suspension: disperse phase
Derived Forms
dispersedly (dɪˈspɜːsɪdlɪ) adverb
disperser, noun
disburse
Word Origin
C14: from Latin dispērsus scattered, from dispergere to scatter widely, from di-² + spargere to strew
Word Origin and History for disperse
v.

late 14c., from Latin dispersus, past participle of dispergere "to scatter," from dis- "apart, in every direction" (see dis-) + spargere "to scatter" (see sparse). The Latin word is glossed in Old English by tostregdan. Related: Dispersed; dispersing.

disperse in Medicine

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.