disintegrate

[dis-in-tuh-greyt]

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verb (used without object), dis·in·te·grat·ed, dis·in·te·grat·ing.

to separate into parts or lose intactness or solidness; break up; deteriorate: The old book is gradually disintegrating with age.

Physics.

to decay.
(of a nucleus) to change into one or more different nuclei after being bombarded by high-energy particles, as alpha particles or gamma rays.

verb (used with object), dis·in·te·grat·ed, dis·in·te·grat·ing.

to reduce to particles, fragments, or parts; break up or destroy the cohesion of: Rocks are disintegrated by frost and rain.

Origin of disintegrate

First recorded in 1790–1800; dis-¹ + integrate

Related formsdis·in·te·gra·ble

[dis-in-tuh-gruh-buh l] /dɪsˈɪn tə grə bəl/, adjectivedis·in·te·gra·tive, dis·in·te·gra·to·ry

[dis-in-tuh-gruh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, -grey-tuh-ree] /dɪsˈɪn tə grəˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i, -ˌgreɪ tə ri/, adjectivedis·in·te·gra·tor, nounnon·dis·in·te·grat·ing, adjective

Synonym study

1, 3. See decay.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for disintegrate

sink, decompose, disband, decay, dismantle, splinter, shatter, crumble, wither, degenerate, rot, sever, descend, deliquesce, pulverize, disconnect, divide, decline, worsen, atomize

Examples from the Web for disintegrate

Contemporary Examples of disintegrate

At this point Marvin gives his Liberty Valance smile, the kind that makes you wish you could disintegrate in front of him.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile
Robert Ward
January 3, 2015
If life has left Mandela, does this mean we will disintegrate, too?
Mandela: The Last Good Man
Mark Gevisser
December 5, 2013
All of our hard work began to disintegrate in an instant, based on a decision the Marines and I had no input on whatsoever.
Iraq War, 10th Anniversary: The Last Grand Mufti
John Kael Weston
March 21, 2013
Do we have a plan B if the Afghan Army starts to disintegrate?
Obama and Romney Must Address the Pakistan Problem
Bruce Riedel
October 21, 2012
It is a fantasy, and it was very important to me to show that disintegrate, and show what the actual transaction looked like.
‘Mad Men’: Matthew Weiner and Christina Hendricks Dissect 5 Scenes From ‘The Other Woman’
Jace Lacob
August 8, 2012

Historical Examples of disintegrate

That is the point at which families innumerable have begun to disintegrate.
The Wedding Ring
T. De Witt Talmage
They didn't just disintegrate when peace broke out, that was for sure.
The Cosmic Computer
Henry Beam Piper
When I die my cherished soul will disintegrate into nothing.
Fantazius Mallare
Ben Hecht
Cal wondered whether the orders to disintegrate had been a bluff.
Eight Keys to Eden
Mark Irvin Clifton
About the time a man begins to vote, he begins to disintegrate.
Penguin Persons & Peppermints
Walter Prichard Eaton

British Dictionary definitions for disintegrate

disintegrate

verb

to break or be broken into fragments or constituent parts; shatter

to lose or cause to lose cohesion or unity

(intr) to lose judgment or control; deteriorate

physics

to induce or undergo nuclear fission, as by bombardment with fast particles
another word for decay (def. 3)

Derived Formsdisintegrable, adjectivedisintegration, noundisintegrative, adjectivedisintegrator, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for disintegrate

1796, from dis- "do the opposite of" + integrate (v.). Related: Disintegrated; disintegrating.