Disperse Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary (original) (raw)

Britannica Dictionary definition of DISPERSE

:

to go or move in different directions

:

to spread apart

[no object]

• Police ordered the crowd to disperse.
• The clouds dispersed [=_broke_], revealing blue sky above.
• The fog gradually dispersed [=_dissipated, vanished_] as the day grew warmer.

[+ object]

• Police dispersed the protesters.

— dispersal

/dɪˈspɚsəl/

noun

[noncount]

• The police are trained in crowd dispersal.

— dispersion

/dɪˈspɚʒən/

noun,

technical

[noncount]

• Laws were established to limit the dispersion of pollutants.