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dispersant

American  
[dih-spur-suhnt] / dɪˈspɜr sənt /

noun

  1. something that disperses.

  2. Physical Chemistry. any admixture to a dispersion capable of maintaining the dispersed particles in suspension.


adjective

  1. acting as a dispersant.

dispersant British  
/ dɪsˈpɜːsənt /

noun

  1. a liquid or gas used to disperse small particles or droplets, as in an aerosol

"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

Etymology

Origin of dispersant

First recorded in 1940–45; disperse + -ant


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Workers filing individual lawsuits have to prove they were exposed to enough oil or dispersant to — more likely than not — cause their illness.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 18, 2024

Crude oil was added with and without dispersant under sunlight and dark conditions, with larger organisms filtered out.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 22, 2024

Twelve navy ships and three civilian ships along with a number of aircraft were also working to contain the spill at sea with booms and dispersant spray.

From Reuters ● Jan. 29, 2022

Many of the fishermen and women used their boats to help the clean-up effort by deploying booms and spreading oil dispersant.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 18, 2020

This approach used 1.84 million gallons of the oil dispersant Corexit 9527, most of which was injected underwater at the site of the leak, with small amounts being sprayed on top of the spill.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019

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