Disperse
/dɪˈspɜːrs/
Definitions
2 meaningsTo distribute or spread things over a wide area; to cause to go or move in different directions.
/dɪˈspɜːrs/
To scatter or spread widely.
The crowd began to disperse as the concert ended.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're throwing seeds in the garden. Disperse is like spreading those seeds all over so they can grow. It means spreading things out so they're not all together.
👶 For kids: To spread something out in different directions, like when you blow dandelion seeds in the wind.
More Examples
The wind dispersed the clouds, revealing the blue sky.
The teacher told the students to disperse after the assembly.
How It's Used
"The police ordered the crowd to disperse after the protest."
"The wind dispersed the pollen across the field."
To break up and cause something to cease to exist; to break up or dissipate.
/dɪˈspɜːrs/
To cause to disappear or vanish.
The fog began to disperse as the sun rose.
💡 Simply: It's like dissolving sugar in water. The sugar disappears because it spreads out and mixes with the water.
👶 For kids: To make something go away or disappear by spreading it out.
More Examples
The bad memories eventually dispersed over time.
The chemical dispersed the paint evenly.
How It's Used
"The solvent dispersed the solid particles in the solution."
From Middle French *disperser*, from Latin *dispergere* ("to scatter, spread out"), from *dis-* ("apart") + *spargere* ("to scatter, sprinkle").
Historically used in military contexts to describe the scattering of forces, and in scientific contexts related to the spreading of substances.
Memory tip
Think of 'dis' meaning away and 'perse' suggesting spreading. Disperse is spreading away from a central point.
Practice
Word Origin
Prefix: dis- (apart)