DISINTEGRATION

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does disintegration mean? 

• DISINTEGRATION (noun)
  The noun DISINTEGRATION has 5 senses:

1. in a decomposed state

2. a loss (or serious disruption) of organization in some system

3. separation into component parts

4. the spontaneous disintegration of a radioactive substance along with the emission of ionizing radiation

5. total destruction

  Familiarity information: DISINTEGRATION used as a noun is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DISINTEGRATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

In a decomposed state

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

decomposition; disintegration

Hypernyms ("disintegration" is a kind of...):

decay (an inferior state resulting from the process of decaying)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "disintegration"):

fragmentation (the disintegration of social norms governing behavior and thought and social relationships)

Derivation:

disintegrate (break into parts or components or lose cohesion or unity)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A loss (or serious disruption) of organization in some system

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Context example:

a disintegration of personality

Hypernyms ("disintegration" is a kind of...):

disability; disablement; handicap; impairment (the condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental unfitness)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Separation into component parts

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Synonyms:

disintegration; dissolution

Hypernyms ("disintegration" is a kind of...):

action; activity; natural action; natural process (a process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "disintegration"):

fibrinolysis (a normal ongoing process that dissolves fibrin and results in the removal of small blood clots)

lysis ((biochemistry) dissolution or destruction of cells such as blood cells or bacteria)

Derivation:

disintegrate (break into parts or components or lose cohesion or unity)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The spontaneous disintegration of a radioactive substance along with the emission of ionizing radiation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Synonyms:

decay; disintegration; radioactive decay

Hypernyms ("disintegration" is a kind of...):

nuclear reaction ((physics) a process that alters the energy or structure or composition of atomic nuclei)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "disintegration"):

alpha decay (radioactive decay of an atomic nucleus that is accompanied by the emission of an alpha particle)

beta decay (radioactive decay of an atomic nucleus that is accompanied by the emission of a beta particle)

Derivation:

disintegrate (lose a stored charge, magnetic flux, or current)

disintegrate (cause to undergo fission or lose particles)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Total destruction

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

annihilation; disintegration

Context example:

bomb tests resulted in the annihilation of the atoll

Hypernyms ("disintegration" is a kind of...):

demolition; destruction; wipeout (an event (or the result of an event) that completely destroys something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "disintegration"):

extermination; extinction (complete annihilation)

 Context examples 

Currently, disintegrants have been developed to the point that disintegration is not usually the rate limiting step.

(Disintegrant Excipient, NCI Thesaurus)

This family of lamins has two members (Lamin-B1 and -B2), are present in all cells and play a role in the disintegration and reformation of the nuclear envelop during mitosis.

(Lamin B, NCI Thesaurus)

The matrix absorbs the laser energy, thus inducing a soft disintegration of the sample- matrix mixture into free (gas phase) matrix and analyte molecules and molecular ions.

(Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry, NCI Thesaurus)

In biology, lysis refers to the disintegration of a cell by disruption of its plasma membrane.

(Lytic, NCI Dictionary)

A unit of radioactivity defined as 3.7 E9 atomic disintegrations or other nuclear transformations per second.

(Decicurie, NCI Thesaurus)

The number of radioactive transformations per unit time and expressed as disintegrations per minute or disintegrations per second.

(Disintegration Rate, NCI Thesaurus)

A unit of radioactivity defined as 3.7E-8 atomic disintegrations or other nuclear transformations per second or one quintillionth of curie (10E-18 curie).

(Attocurie, NCI Thesaurus)

Thus, one would be a better agent for a lozenge when slow dissolution in the mouth is desirable whereas another would provide more rapid disintegration for other purposes.

(Binder Excipient, NCI Thesaurus)

Autoradiographic analysis performed by mounting the object for microscopy (e.g., on a glass slide) and bathing the object with a photographic emulsion that will record radioactive disintegrations occurring at close proximity.

(Microscopic Autoradiography, NCI Thesaurus)

A unit of radioactivity equal to one billionth of a curie or 37 becquerels, and corresponding to radioactivity of 37 atomic disintegrations per second.

(Nanocurie, NCI Thesaurus)