DISPERSE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does disperse mean? 

• DISPERSE (verb)
  The verb DISPERSE has 6 senses:

1. distribute loosely

2. to cause to separate and go in different directions

3. cause to separate

4. move away from each other

5. separate (light) into spectral rays

6. cause to become widely known

  Familiarity information: DISPERSE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DISPERSE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they disperse    ... he / she / it disperses   
Past simple: dispersed   
Past participle: dispersed   
-ing form: dispersing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Distribute loosely

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

disperse; dot; dust; scatter; sprinkle

Context example:

He scattered gun powder under the wagon

Hypernyms (to "disperse" is one way to...):

discharge (pour forth or release)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "disperse"):

spray (scatter in a mass or jet of droplets)

spray (be discharged in sprays of liquid)

plash; spatter; splash; splatter; splosh; swash (dash a liquid upon or against)

splash; splosh; sprinkle (cause (a liquid) to spatter about, especially with force)

bespangle (dot or sprinkle with sparkling or glittering objects)

aerosolise; aerosolize (disperse as an aerosol)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

dispersive (spreading by diffusion)

Sense 2

Meaning:

To cause to separate and go in different directions

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

break up; dispel; disperse; dissipate; scatter

Context example:

She waved her hand and scattered the crowds

Hypernyms (to "disperse" is one way to...):

divide; separate (make a division or separation)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "disperse"):

disband (cause to break up or cease to function)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

dispersion (the act of dispersing or diffusing something)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Cause to separate

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

break up; disperse; scatter

Context example:

disperse particles

Hypernyms (to "disperse" is one way to...):

change integrity (change in physical make-up)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "disperse"):

backscatter (scatter (radiation) by the atoms of the medium through which it passes)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Move away from each other

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

disperse; dissipate; scatter; spread out

Context example:

The children scattered in all directions when the teacher approached

Hypernyms (to "disperse" is one way to...):

part; separate; split (go one's own way; move apart)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "disperse"):

aerosolise; aerosolize (become dispersed as an aerosol)

break (scatter or part)

volley (be dispersed in a volley)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Derivation:

dispersion (spreading widely or driving off)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Separate (light) into spectral rays

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

the prism disperses light

Hypernyms (to "disperse" is one way to...):

separate (divide into components or constituents)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Cause to become widely known

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

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

Context example:

broadcast the news

Hypernyms (to "disperse" is one way to...):

air; bare; publicise; publicize (make public)

Cause:

circulate; go around; spread (become widely known and passed on)

Verb group:

circulate; go around; spread (become widely known and passed on)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "disperse"):

podcast (distribute (multimedia files) over the internet for playback on a mobile device or a personal computer)

sow (introduce into an environment)

generalise; generalize; popularise; popularize; vulgarise; vulgarize (cater to popular taste to make popular and present to the general public; bring into general or common use)

carry; run (include as the content; broadcast or publicize)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

dispersal; dispersion (the act of dispersing or diffusing something)

dispersive (spreading by diffusion)

 Context examples 

The transition to fungiculture helped termites disperse to less hospitable dry savannas, and eventually to migrate out of Africa and into Asia.

(Researchers discover oldest evidence of 'farming' by insects, NSF)

While it is possible that the freezing of a global subsurface ocean formed the fractures, this scenario is unlikely, as the locations of pit chains are not evenly dispersed across Ceres' surface.

(Dawn Explores Ceres' Interior Evolution, NASA)

The observations reveal that the isotope was dispersed into space after the collision of two stars, that left behind a remnant known as CK Vulpeculae.

(Stellar Corpse Reveals Origin of Radioactive Molecules, ESO)

Big geographic changes across northern Zealandia, which is about the same size as India, have implications for understanding questions such as how plants and animals dispersed and evolved in the South Pacific.

(Scientists return from expedition to lost continent of Zealandia, National Science Foundation)

A liquid preparation, suitable for injection, which consists of solid particles dispersed throughout a liquid phase in which the particles are not soluble.

(Injectable Sonicated Suspension Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

The team dispersed in ignominious defeat, and it was not until after dark that the dogs came sneaking back, one by one, by meekness and humility signifying their fealty to White Fang.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

It can also consist of an oil phase dispersed throughout an aqueous phase, or vice-versa.

(Injectable Suspension Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

After rising near the top of the ocean, the bubbles may burst or otherwise disperse the organics, where they were detected by Cassini.

(Complex Organics Bubble up from Enceladus, NASA)

But these processes also disperse the gas and dust, breaking up dense clumps and reducing or halting new star formation.

('Space Butterfly' Is Home to Hundreds of Baby Stars, NASA)

A semi-solid composed of at least two immiscible liquids, one of which is dispersed as droplets within the other liquid, and stabilized with one or more emulsifying agents.

(Emulsion Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)