disperse

/di-ˈspərs/

Middle English, from Latin dispersus, past participle of dispergere to scatter, from dis- + spargere to scatter

verb

  1. to cause to break up

  2. to cause to become spread widely

  3. to cause to evaporate or vanish

police dispersed the crowd

disperse the troops

scatter disperse dissipate dispel mean to cause to separate or break up. scatter implies a force that drives parts or units irregularly in many directions. disperse implies a wider separation and a complete breaking up of a mass or group.