disintegrate

[dis-in-tuh-greyt]

verb (used without object)

disintegrated, disintegrating 

1. to separate into parts or lose intactness or solidness; break up; deteriorate.

   The old book is gradually disintegrating with age.

2. Physics.

   1. to decay.

   2. (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)

disintegrated, disintegrating 

1. to reduce to particles, fragments, or parts; break up or destroy the cohesion of.

   Rocks are disintegrated by frost and rain.

disintegrate

/ dɪsˈɪntɪˌɡreɪt /

verb

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

2. to lose or cause to lose cohesion or unity

3. (intr) to lose judgment or control; deteriorate

4. physics

   1. to induce or undergo nuclear fission, as by bombardment with fast particles

   2. another word for decay

Other Word Forms

• disintegrable adjective
• disintegrator noun
• disintegrative adjective
• disintegration noun
• disintegratory adjective
• nondisintegrating adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of disintegrate¹

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

Synonym Study

See decay.

Example Sentences

This kind of "odd" solid can even disintegrate on its own.

Read more on Science Daily

Columbia was unable to withstand the fiery re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, disintegrating as the world watched on in horror.

Read more on BBC

In humans, the dental lamina disintegrates after we grow our adult teeth, but many vertebrates retain the ability to replace their teeth.

Read more on Science Daily

Were you to cook Swiss chard fully intact, without separating the stems and leaves, the leaf would disintegrate by the time the stems were tender.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Part of her leg, she said, started to “disintegrate.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• break down 
• break up 
• come apart www.thesaurus.com
• crumble 
• decay 
• decompose 
• degenerate 
• descend 
• disband 
• dismantle 
• rot 
• sever 
• shatter 
• sink 
• splinter 
• wash out 
• wither