Disperse

/dɪsˈpɜːrs/

Meaning & Definition

verb

to distribute or spread over a wide area

The seeds will disperse across the field with the help of the wind.

to cause to vanish or disappear

The police used tear gas to disperse the crowd that had gathered.

to break up and scatter in different directions

As the concert ended, the audience began to disperse.

to distribute or spread out from a central point

The scientists observed how the chemicals would disperse in water.

Late Middle English, from Latin 'dispersus', from 'dis-' + 'spargere' meaning to scatter.

disperse into the crowd

to blend into a group of people

disperse information

to spread information widely

disperse tension

to alleviate a tense situation

dispersion

the act of distributing or spreading things or people over a wide area

dispersive

having the ability to spread or scatter

spender

one who spends, often in relation to a dispersive behavior in terms of resources

to break up a group

The party got a bit dull, so we decided to disperse.

to bail or leave quickly

When the cops showed up, we all started to disperse.