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Disperse Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary

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.