disperse
Definitions
To scatter or spread over a wide area; to break up and move in different directions.
（使）分散，散开；驱散。
To distribute or spread out (light, particles, a substance) thinly.
使（光、颗粒、物质）散布、扩散。
Root Breakdown
Root-deriveddis- (apart) + pers (from Latin spargere, to scatter) = scatter apart. Whatever was gathered together flies off in every direction: a crowd disperses, smoke disperses, a prism disperses light into colours. The prefix supplies the 'in all directions' and the root supplies the 'scattering.'
Root pers still carries 4 more wordsCommon Collocations
- 1.disperse the crowd驱散人群
- 2.disperse into the air消散到空气中
- 3.widely dispersed广泛分散的
- 4.disperse a gathering驱散集会
Example Sentences
- 1.
Police moved in to disperse the crowd after the match.
- 2.
The morning fog slowly dispersed as the sun rose.
- 3.
A prism disperses white light into a band of colours.
Synonym Comparison
- disperse — scatter a gathered group/mass apart in many directions
- scatter — the everyday word; throw or spread things irregularly
- dispel — drive away something immaterial (doubts, fears, rumours), not a crowd
- dissipate — gradually fade to nothing (energy, heat, a crowd's mood)