to drive or send off in various directions; scatter

to disperse a crowd.

to spread widely; disseminate

to disperse knowledge.

to dispel; cause to vanish

The wind dispersed the fog.

Physical Chemistry . to cause (particles) to separate uniformly throughout a solid, liquid, or gas.

Optics . to subject (light) to dispersion.

to separate and move apart in different directions without order or regularity; become scattered

The crowd dispersed.

to be dispelled; be scattered out of sight; vanish

The smoke dispersed into the sky.

Physical Chemistry . noting the dispersed particles in a dispersion.