dispersal
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dis·per·sal
(dĭ-spûr′səl)n.
The act or process of dispersing or the condition of being dispersed.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
dispersal
(dɪˈspɜːsəl)n
1. the act of dispersing or the condition of being dispersed
2. (Biology) the spread of animals, plants, or seeds to new areas
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
dis•per•sion
(dɪˈspɜr ʒən, -ʃən)n.
1. Also, dispersal. an act or instance of dispersing or a state of being dispersed.
2.
a. the variation of the index of refraction of a transparent substance, as glass, with the wavelength of light.
b. the separation of white or compound light into its respective colors, as in the formation of a spectrum by a prism.
3. the scattering of values of a statistical variable around the mean or median of a distribution.
4. Also called disperse′ sys`tem. a system of dispersed particles suspended in a solid, liquid, or gas.
5. (cap.) Diaspora (def. 1).
[1350–1400; Middle English (< Anglo-French) < Latin]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
dispersal
Relocation of forces for the purpose of increasing survivability. See also dispersion.
Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.
Dispersal
- Diffused charm around like an indispensable perfume —Jules Janin, about the woman who served as the role model for The Lady With the Camellias by Alexandre Dumas, Fils
- (Consciousness) disperses itself like pollen on a spring day —Carlos Fuentes
- Dispersed like a broken family —Beryl Markham
- Disposed of like a branch or potato sack —Graham Swift
- Here and there like teeth in an old man’s mouth —Maxim Gorky
- Like the chaff of the summer threshing floors … the wind carried them away —The Holy Bible
- Scatter and divide like fleecy clouds self-multiplied —William Wordsworth
- Scattered as the seeds of wild grass —Beryl Markham
- Scattered [audience across vacant seats in a theatre] as widely as outfielders when the champion batter steps to the plate —O. Henry
- [Shadows of doubts and weaknesses] scattered, like a cloud in morning’s breeze —John Greenleaf Whittier
- (The rage that had been silent … fired and) scattered like bullets —Belva Plain
- Scattered (across the map of the land) like carelessly dropped pennies —George Garrett
- Scattered, like chaff in a high wind —Donald Seaman Scatter like confetti —Derek Lambert
An extension is “To scatter like confetti at a tickertape parade.”
- Scattered like dusts and leaves, when the mighty blasts of October seize them —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Scattered like foam along the wave —George Croly
- Scattered like foam on the torrent —Percy Bysshe Shelley
- Scattered like mown and withered grass —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- Scattered like rabbits to a gunshot —Lawrence Durrell
- (Spite, malice and jealousy) scattered like spent foam —Iris Murdoch
- Scatter like a bucket of water —Erich Maria Remarque
- Scatter like balls on a billiard table —Tom Shales, movie review, WNYC Morning Edition Public Radio, March 20, 1987
In the movie Shales reviewed, it was babies who were thus scattered about.
- (The sparrows) scatter like handfuls of gravel —William H. Gass
- Scatter like mist before the wind —Kenzaburo Oë
The descriptive reference point is a feeling of contentment.
- Scatter like pigeons across grass —Anon
- (His foes are) scattered like chirping sparrows —Stephen Vincent Benét
- Thrown away like used paper cups —Anon
Similes Dictionary, 1st Edition. © 1988 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Noun | 1. | dispersal - the act of dispersing or diffusing something; "the dispersion of the troops"; "the diffusion of knowledge" crop-dusting, spraying - the dispersion of fungicides or insecticides or fertilizer on growing crops (often from a low-flying aircraft) |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
dispersal
noun
1. scattering, spread, distribution, dissemination, dissipation the plants' mechanisms of dispersal of their spores
2. spread, broadcast, circulation, diffusion, dissemination the dispersal of this notably negative attitude
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
dispersal
nounThe passing out or spreading about of something:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
تَفريق، تَشْتيت
rozptýlenírozptylovánírozsévání
spredning
dreifing, tvístrun
dağ mayay ma
dispersal
[dɪsˈpɜːsəl] N (= scattering) [of army, crowd] → dispersión f; [of light] → descomposición fCollins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
dispersal
[dɪˈspɜːrsəl] n [seeds] → dissémination f
[refugees, asylum seekers] → répartition f
[gas, toxins] → propagation f
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
dispersal
n (= scattering) → Verstreuen nt; (Bot: of seed) → Verteilung f; (= dispelling: of crowd, mist) → Zerstreuung f, → Auflösung f; (of oil slick) → Auflösung f; (Opt: of light) → Streuung f; (Chem: of particles) → Dispersion f; (fig) (of knowledge etc) → Verbreitung f; (of efforts) → Verzettelung f, → Zersplitterung f
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
disperse
(diˈspəːs) verb1. to (cause to) scatter in all directions. Some seeds are dispersed by the wind.
2. to (cause to) spread (news etc). Information is dispersed by volunteers who distribute leaflets.
3. to (cause to) vanish. By this time the crowd had dispersed.
diˈspersal nounKernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.