Library / English Dictionary

DISPERSE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cause to separate

Example:

disperse particles

Synonyms:

break up; disperse; scatter

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

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 2

Meaning:

Cause to become widely known

Example:

broadcast the news

Synonyms:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

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)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Distribute loosely

Example:

He scattered gun powder under the wagon

Synonyms:

disperse; dot; dust; scatter; sprinkle

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

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 4

Meaning:

Separate (light) into spectral rays

Example:

the prism disperses light

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

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

separate (divide into components or constituents)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 5

Meaning:

Move away from each other

Example:

The children scattered in all directions when the teacher approached

Synonyms:

disperse; dissipate; scatter; spread out

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

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 6

Meaning:

To cause to separate and go in different directions

Example:

She waved her hand and scattered the crowds

Synonyms:

break up; dispel; disperse; dissipate; scatter

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

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)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Formation of particles by solidification of dispersed droplets within a cooler gas.

(Cooling/Congealing Particle Sizing, NCI Thesaurus)

The substance in an emulsion that is suspended or dispersed within another substance of greater volume.

(Dispersed Phase, NCI Thesaurus)

Disperse blue 1 is a mutagen and is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.

(CI Disperse Blue 1, NCI Thesaurus)

The parts of chromosomes that, during interphase, are uncoiled dispersed threads and not stained by ordinary dyes; metabolically active, in contrast to the inert heterochromatin.

(Euchromatin, NCI Thesaurus)

The morning was rather favourable, though it had rained all night, as the clouds were then dispersing across the sky, and the sun frequently appeared.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

After this, the boys dispersed for a final lark, leaving Mrs. March and her daughters under the festival tree.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

The emitted radiation is dispersed by a grating monochrometer and detected with photomultiplier tubes.

(Inductively-Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer, NCI Thesaurus)

A proprietary oral formulation composed of the poorly soluble, synthetic triazole agent, itraconazole, dispersed in a polymer matrix, with antifungal and potential anti-angiogenic activities.

(Itraconazole Dispersion In Polymer Matrix, NCI Thesaurus)

A measure of the electric charge and the time in which the charge is dispersed.

(Milliampere second, NCI Thesaurus)

All were attracted at first by the plants or the pheasants, and all dispersed about in happy independence.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)