disperse
Translation
to disperse, to scatter, to break up
Examples
The police used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
The police used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
The seeds are dispersed by the wind.
The seeds are dispersed by the wind.
The fog began to disperse as the sun rose.
The fog began to disperse as the sun rose.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) to cause (sth.) to scatter or spread out The police dispersed the crowd.
((no object)) to scatter or spread out over an area The crowd began to disperse.
Similar Words
Synonyms: scatter, dissipate, break up; Antonyms: gather, assemble, collect
Etymology
From Latin 'dis-' (apart) + 'spargere' (to scatter).
Memory Tips
Think of 'dis-' as 'apart' and 'sperse' like 'spray' – spraying things apart over a wide area.