Dispersion

/dɪsˈpɜːrʒən/

Meaning & Definition

noun
The action or process of distributing or spreading things over a wide area.
The dispersion of seeds by the wind allows plants to grow in diverse locations.
The state of being dispersed.
The dispersion of the crowd after the concert was orderly and swift.
The separation of particles in a medium.
The scientist studied the dispersion of the dye in water to understand its mixing properties.
In statistics, the degree to which data points are spread out in a dataset.
The dispersion of the test scores indicated a wide range of student performance.
In optics, the separation of light into its component colors.
The prism caused dispersion of the light, creating a beautiful spectrum on the wall.

Etymology

From Latin 'dispersionem', meaning 'a scattering'.

Common Phrases and Expressions

light dispersion
The separation of light into various colors.
dispersion of forces
The spreading out of military forces.
particle dispersion
The process of particles being spread throughout a medium.

Related Words

disperse
To distribute or spread over a wide area.
dispersement
The act of dispersing or being dispersed.
dispersion relation
In physics, a relation that describes how wave velocity depends on frequency.

Slang Meanings

To scatter one's resources or efforts ineffectively.
Stop the dispersion of your energy and focus on one project!
A chaotic situation where things are spread out and hard to manage.
After the party, the place was a total dispersion.