disperse
disperse Lexical Profile
disperse Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To distribute or spread over a wide area, or to go in different directions and disappear from a central point.
"The crowd began to disperse quickly once the evening concert ended."
To divide and separate light or other electromagnetic radiation into its constituent wavelengths (in physics and optics).
"A glass prism can disperse white sunlight into a vivid spectrum of colors."
Word Nuance & Usage
Frequently confused with its homophone 'disburse'. While 'disperse' means to scatter or distribute widely in various directions, 'disburse' specifically means to pay out money from a fund.
• Rhymes for disperse
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century from Old French 'disperser', from Latin 'dispersus', the past participle of 'dispergere' (to scatter abroad), formed from 'dis-' (apart) and 'spargere' (to strew or scatter).