disperse

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /dɪˈspɝs/ UK /dɪˈspɜːs/ See IPA manual

Freq #14533

Meanings

1

verb
To spread out or scatter in different directions, or to make a group do so.

Police asked the crowd to disperse and go home.
2

verb
To spread something widely so it is no longer concentrated.

The wind dispersed the seeds across the whole field.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to spread out or scatter in... scatter

2 verb · to spread something widely... scatter sprinkle

More besprengebroadcastdesparplediscussdisgregatedisparkledisparpledispeldisperpledistribute dwindleflurr

Opposites

assemble collect

Word family

Forms disperseddispersesdispersing

Derived forms dedispersedispersabledispersantdisperserdispersinglydispersitydispersivedispersoiddispersometernondispersingoverdisperseredisperse

Related forms dispersaldispersibledispersion

Etymology

From Middle French disperser, from Latin dispersus, past participle of dispergō (“to scatter abroad, disperse”), from dis- (“apart”) + spargō (“to scatter”); see sparse.

disperser Middle French dispersus Latin

View etymology graph ->

External links

# disperse

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /dɪˈspɝs/
**IPA (UK):** /dɪˈspɜːs/
**Frequency rank:** 14533

## Meanings
1. To spread out or scatter in different directions, or to make a group do so.
2. To spread something widely so it is no longer concentrated.

## Examples
- Police asked the crowd to disperse and go home.
- The wind dispersed the seeds across the whole field.

## Synonyms
- besprenge
- broadcast
- desparple
- discuss
- disgregate
- disparkle
- disparple
- dispel
- disperple
- distribute
- dwindle
- flurr

## Antonyms
- assemble
- collect

## Derived Forms
- dedisperse
- dispersable
- dispersant
- disperser
- dispersingly
- dispersity
- dispersive
- dispersoid
- dispersometer
- nondispersing
- overdisperse
- redisperse

## Related Forms
- dispersal
- dispersible
- dispersion

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: disperser
- Root: dispersus

## Etymology
From Middle French disperser, from Latin dispersus, past participle of dispergō (“to scatter abroad, disperse”), from dis- (“apart”) + spargō (“to scatter”); see sparse.

## AI Etymology
Disperse is from Middle French disperser, from Latin dispersus, past participle of dispergō (“to scatter abroad, disperse”), from dis- (“apart”) + spargō (“to scatter”); see sparse. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern form is built from the named base and affix. Important recorded forms include disperser (Middle French) and dispersus (Latin). Current senses include to spread out or scatter in different directions, or to make a group do so and to spread something widely so it is no longer concentrated. The wider family includes derived forms such as dedisperse, dispersable, dispersant, disperser, and dispersingly; related words such as dispersal, dispersible, and dispersion.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

markdown

disperse

Meanings

Thesaurus

Etymology

Topics

External links

Keyboard Shortcuts

General

Send feedback