Main Entry:: dis·perse
Pronunciation:: \di-ˈspərs\
Function:: verb
Inflected Form(s):: dis·persed; dis·pers·ing
Etymology:: Middle English, from Latin dispersus, past participle of dispergere to scatter, from dis- + spargere to scatter — more at spark
Date:: 14th century

transitive verb1 a: to cause to break up <police dispersed the crowd> b: to cause to become spread widely c: to cause to evaporate or vanish <sunlight dispersing the mist>2: to spread or distribute from a fixed or constant source: as aarchaic : disseminate b: to subject (as light) to dispersion c: to distribute (as fine particles) more or less evenly throughout a medium intransitive verb1: to break up in random fashion <the crowd dispersed on request>2 a: to become dispersed b: dissipate , vanish <the fog dispersed toward morning>

synonyms see scatter

— dis·persed·ly

\-ˈspər-səd-lē, -ˈspərst-lē\ adverb

— dis·pers·er noun

— dis·pers·ible

\-ˈspər-sə-bəl\ adjective

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