DISPERSE

circulate, circularize, circularise, distribute, disseminate, propagate, broadcast, spread, diffuse, disperse, pass around

(verb) cause to become widely known; “spread information”; “circulate a rumor”; “broadcast the news”

scatter, sprinkle, dot, dust, disperse

(verb) distribute loosely; “He scattered gun powder under the wagon”

disperse

(verb) separate (light) into spectral rays; “the prism disperses light”

disperse, dissipate, scatter, spread out

(verb) move away from each other; “The crowds dispersed”; “The children scattered in all directions when the teacher approached”

disperse, dissipate, dispel, break up, scatter

(verb) to cause to separate and go in different directions; “She waved her hand and scattered the crowds”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

---

Etymology

Verb

disperse (third-person singular simple present disperses, present participle dispersing, simple past and past participle dispersed)

(transitive, intransitive) To scatter in different directions

(transitive, intransitive) To break up and disappear; to dissipate

(transitive, intransitive) To disseminate

(physics, transitive, intransitive) To separate rays of light etc. according to wavelength; to refract

(transitive, intransitive) To distribute throughout

Usage notes

• Do not confuse with the monetary word disburse, despite the two being near homophones and having a degree of semantic similarity (in which disbursed money may be dispersed among expenses). A mnemonic to help make the difference obvious (which uses a cognate of each word) is that dĭs-burs-ing is taking money out of the purse, whereas dĭ-spers-ing causes something to be sparsely scattered.

Synonyms

• (scatter in different directions): See also disperse

Adjective

disperse (comparative more disperse, superlative most disperse)

Scattered or spread out.

Anagrams

• Perseids, despiser, perseids, presides

Source: Wiktionary

---

Dis*perse", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dispersed; p. pr. & vb. n. Dispersing.] Etym: [L. dispersus, p. p. of dispergere to strew, scatter. See Sparse.]

1. To scatter abroad; to drive to different parts; to distribute; to diffuse; to spread; as, the Jews are dispersed among all nations. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge. Prov. xv. 7. Two lions, in the still, dark night, A herd of beeves disperse. Cowper.

2. To scatter, so as to cause to vanish; to dissipate; as, to disperse vapors. Dispersed are the glories. Shak.

Syn.

– To scatter; dissipate; dispel; spread; diffuse; distribute; deal out; disseminate.

Dis*perse", v. i.

1. To separate; to go or move into different parts; to vanish; as, the company dispersed at ten o'clock; the clouds disperse.

2. To distribute wealth; to share one's abundance with others. He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor. Ps. cxii. 9.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

---

Do you know this game?

Wordscapes is a popular word game consistently in the top charts of both Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The Android version has more than 10 million installs. This guide will help you get more coins in less than two minutes of playing the game. Continue reading Wordscapes: Get More Coins