▪ I. † diˈsperse, ppl. a. Obs.
Also 4–6 dispers.
[a. OF. dispers, -pars (in Godef.), ad. L. dispers-us, pa. pple.: see next.]
Dispersed, scattered about.
| 1393 Gower Conf. II. 177 Thus was dispers in sondry wise The misbeleve. Ibid. II. 185 They liven oute of goddes grace, Dispers in alle londes oute. 1501 Douglas Pal. Hon. i. 346 In that desert dispers in sonder skatterit. |
▪ II. disperse, v.
(dɪˈspɜːs)
Forms: 5 dysparse, 6 disparse, -pearse, 7 -pearce, -pierce, 6– disperse.
[a. F. disperse-r (15th c.), f. dispers, ad. L. dispers-us, pa. pple. of dispergĕre to scatter, f. di-1, dis- 1 + spargĕre to sprinkle, strew.]
1. a. trans. To cause to separate in different directions; to throw or drive about in all directions, to scatter; to rout.
| 1450–1530 Myrr. our Ladye 161 He hathe dysparsed the prowde in the wylle of thy harte..An hooste that ys dysparsed ys not myghty to fyghte, right so the prowde fendes are dysparsed by the passyon of oure lorde Iesu cryste. 1503–4 Act 19 Hen. VII, c. 34. Preamb., They were rencountered, vaynquesshed, dispersed. 1581 Marbeck Bk. of Notes 287 It must needes be Philip the Deacon, that was dispearsed with the rest, & came to Samaria. 1654 tr. Scudery's Curia Pol. 82 Such a Fire as cannot be extinguisht, is better to be dispersed. Ibid. 102 The Victors are so tryumphant, and the subdued Enemies so afflicted and dispierced. 1758 A. Reid tr. Macquer's Chem. I. 51 The precipitate..exposed to a certain degree of heat, is instantly dispersed into the air, with a most violent explosion. 1799 Wordsworth Lucy Gray vii, Her feet disperse the powdery snow, That rises up like smoke. 1887 Spectator 16 Apr. 532/1 Reform meetings were dispersed by charges of Dragoons. |
b. intr. To be driven or fly asunder.
| 1665 Hooke Microgr. 33 These [Rupert's drops] dispersed every way so violently, that some of them pierced my skin. |
2. a. trans. To send off or cause to go in different directions; to send to, or station apart at, various points. spec. to scatter or station (ships, aircraft, etc.) at separate points in order to minimize losses from air attack. Also intr. Esp. in pa. pple.: see dispersed.
| 1529 More Comf. agst. Trib. iii. Wks. 1212/1 He taketh the whole people awai, disparsing them for slaues among many sundry countreys. 1591 Hon. Act. E. Glemham, Dispearsing sundrye Sentronels, for watche, farre from the Campe, diuers wayes. 1614 Raleigh Hist. World ii. v. §9. 308 Those they saved, and disperst [1634 dispierc't] them among the children of Israel to serve them. 1698 Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 125 Made me range for Game, and disperse my Servants for Provant. 1744 Harris Three Treat. iii. i. (1765) 153 That a Portion of every thing may be dispersed throughout all. 1872 Yeats Techn. Hist. Comm. 55 They are now dispersed throughout the museums of Europe. 1941 Manchester Guardian 24 Apr. 8/3 We took the decision to disperse plant over the countryside..and dispersal has been carried out on a very daring basis. 1944 Return to Attack (Army Board, N.Z.) 12/2 During the day vehicles were ‘dispersed’ 150 to 200 yards apart which meant that no attractive target was presented to enemy aircraft. 1948 Daily Tel. 9 Dec. 6 The fleet is well dispersed... The dropping of the ‘atomic bomb’ flash will provide a searching test of the ability of the fleet to disperse in the face of that all-powerful weapon. |
b. refl. To spread in scattered order.
| 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, v. i. 45 Souldiers, I thanke you all: disperse your selues. 1684 Contempl. State of Man i. x. (1699) 116 Locusts..shall disperse themselves over the Face of the whole Earth. 1796 Morse Amer. Geog. I. 281 About twenty families..dispersed themselves in various parts of Pennsylvania. 1886 A. Winchell Walks & Talks Geol. Field 286 These primitive Mongoloids..had dispersed themselves over America. |
c. intr. (for refl.) To separate, go different ways.
| a 1672 Wood Life (Oxf. Hist. Soc.) I. 385 Sir Thomas..desired them to disperse, and not to accompany him. 1718 Freethinker No. 68. ¶1 The gay Assemblies meet, and disperse, with the Parliament. 1856 Kane Arct. Expl. I. xvi. 190, I gave orders to abandon the sledge, and disperse in search of foot-marks. 1874 J. T. Micklethwaite Mod. Par. Churches 217 The congregation is dispersing. 1874 Green Short Hist. v. §4. 246 The mass of the insurgents dispersed quietly to their homes. |
† 3. trans. To separate into parts; to part, divide, dispart. Obs.
| 1548 Hall Chron., Rich. III, (an. 3) 39 Thynkynge yt not..beneficiall to disparse and devyde his greate armye into small branches. 1556 J. Heywood Spider & F. lx. 33 The flieing ant..dispersth his nature, in two natures throwne..A creper with spiders, and a flier with flise. 1600 J. Pory tr. Leo's Africa i. 2 Europe is of a more..manifolde shape, being in sundry places dispersed and restrained by the sea. |
4. a. To distribute from a main source or centre.
| 1555 Eden Decades 326 The veynes of bludde are disparsed in the bodies of lyuing beastes. 1594 T. B. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. ii. 361 Conduites whereby the water is brought thither and dispersed in all places thereof. a 1626 Bacon (J.), In the gate vein which disperseth that blood. 1664 Power Exp. Philos. i. 5 Wings..with black thick ribs or fibers, dispers'd and branch'd through them. |
b. To distribute, put into circulation (books, coins, articles of commerce); to give currency to.
| 1555 Eden Decades 51 Which is nowe printed and dispersed throwghowte Christendome. Ibid. 176 The double ducades whiche yowre maiestie haue caused to bee coyned, and are disparsed throughowte the hole worlde. 1600 J. Pory tr. Leo's Africa i. 54 The cloth whereof is dispersed along the coast of Africa. 1693 Col. Rec. Pennsylv. I. 386 Wee of the Jurie doe find Charles Butler guiltie of dispersing bad monie. 1709 Strype Ann. Ref. I. xi. 136 A paper of questions that was..privately dispersed. 1838–9 Act 2–3 Vict. c. 12. §2 in Oxf. & Camb. Enactm. 177 [Any] paper or book..meant to be published or dispersed. |
† 5. To make known abroad; to publish. Obs.
| 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. V, (an. 3) 49 Your strength and vertue shalbe spred and dispersed through the whole world. 1612 tr. Benvenuto's Passenger, To Rdr. A iij, By their owne diuulged and dispersed ignominie. 1624 B. Jonson Masques, Neptune's Triumph (Stage-direction at beg.), The poet entering on the stage, to disperse the argument, is called to by the Master-Cook. |
6. a. To spread abroad or about; to diffuse, disseminate.
| 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 308 If happly other diseases disperse their infecting properties. 1641 Sir E. Nicholas in N. Papers (Camden) 37 The sicknes and small pox is very much dispersed in Westminster and London. 1715 Desaguliers Fires Impr. 4 To disperse the Heat so uniformly. 1782 Burney Hist. Mus. (1789) II. i. 10 A practice..thence dispersed into all parts of the Christian world. 1818 Jas. Mill Brit. India III. ii. 69 Complaints were now industriously raised and dispersed. |
† b. refl.
| 1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. v. i. 61 Let me haue A dram of poyson..As will disperse it selfe through all the veines. 1665 Hooke Microgr. 16 Water put into wine..or the like, does immediately..disperse it self all over them. |
† c. intr. (for refl.) To extend, be diffused.
| 1591 Sylvester Du Bartas i. vii. 256 Th' Almighties care doth diuersely disperse Ore all the parts of all this Vniuerse. |
7. a. trans. To dissipate; to remove, dispel, cause to disappear (vapours, humours, trouble, etc.).
| 1563 W. Fulke Meteors (1640) 24 b, If the Exhalation [thunder]..doe not at the first disperse it [the cloud], it maketh a..fearefull rumbling. 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. ix. 48 All his manly powres it did disperse, As he were charmed with inchaunted rimes. 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. i. i. 90 At length the sonne..Disperst those vapours that offended vs. 1726 G. Shelvocke Voy. round World (1757) 133, I said all that I could..to disperse the melancholy which was fixed in every countenance. 1760–72 tr. Juan & Ulloa's Voy. (ed. 3) I. 342 When a tempest appeared brooding in the air, the tolling of the bell dispersed it. 1804 Abernethy Surg. Obs. 61 [The tumour] increased, notwithstanding applications that were employed to disperse it. |
b. intr. To become dissipated.
| 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, i. ii. 135 Glory is like a Circle in the Water, Which neuer ceaseth to enlarge it selfe, Till by broad spreading, it disperse to naught. 1816 Keatinge Trav. (1817) II. 100 At length the thick cloud of dust dispersed. 1887 Bowen Virg. Eclog. viii. 14 Hardly..had the night's chill shadow dispersed. |
8. trans. Optics. Of a refractive medium: To open out or scatter (rays of light): see dispersion 4.
| [1627 Drayton Agincourt, etc. 197 In a burning Glasse..that colour doth dispierce the light, and stands vntainted.] 1654 Whitlock Zootomia 220 The Rayes that dispersed will scarce warme, collected may burne. 1665 Hooke Microgr. 69 By reason of..its Globular Figure, the Rays that pass through it will be dispers'd. 1812–16 J. Smith Panorama Sc. & Art I. 503 Concave lenses disperse the rays of light. 1868 Lockyer Elem. Astron. vi. §36 (1879) 211 Different media..disperse or open out the light to a greater or less extent. |
9. Chem. The verb-stem is used attrib. in disperse phase, system (see quots.). Hence diˈspersoid = disperse system.
| 1915 E. W. Washburn Princ. Physical Chem. xxv. 361 If we imagine any phase within a given system to be gradually broken up into smaller and smaller particles, then as the size of these particles gradually decreases the surface of contact between this phase and its neighbors will correspondingly increase and the effects of forces of the nature of surface tension..will gradually become more apparent, and these surface forces will eventually begin to be an important factor in determining the fugacities of the molecular species composing the system. Whenever this situation exists to an appreciable extent..we have what is called a disperse system or a dispersoid. 1927 Crocker & Matthews Theoret. & Exper. Physical Chem. 273 Disperse phase, the discontinuous constituent of a colloidal solution corresponding to the solute in true solution. Disperse system, any colloidal solution. A two-phase system with greatly developed surfaces. 1934 S. C. Blacktin Dust vi. 136 Dusts..will here be regarded as belonging to that section of the colloidal state named aerosols, and consisting of solid disperse phase in gaseous dispersion medium. 1939 Thorpe's Dict. Appl. Chem. (ed. 4) III. 292/1 In general the amount of solid substance dispersed or peptised varies with the amount of solid phase present, reaching a maximum for medium quantities. This relationship was termed..the..solid-phase rule, but..disperse-phase rule is a more suitable name. 1966 McGraw-Hill Encycl. Sci. & Technol. IX. 585/2 Condensed dispersoids and fine mechanical dispersoids generally tend to flocculate or agglomerate. |