dispersion

[ dih-spur-zhuhn, -shuhn ]

noun

1. Also an act, state, or instance of dispersing or of being dispersed.
2. Optics.
   1. the variation of the index of refraction of a transparent substance, as glass, with the wavelength of light, with the index of refraction increasing as the wavelength decreases.
   2. the separation of white or compound light into its respective colors, as in the formation of a spectrum by a prism.
3. Statistics. the scattering of values of a variable around the mean or median of a distribution.
4. Military. a scattered pattern of hits of bombs dropped under identical conditions or of shots fired from the same gun with the same firing data.
5. Also called dis·perse sys·tem [dih-, spurs, , sis, -t, uh, m]. Physical Chemistry. a system of dispersed particles suspended in a solid, liquid, or gas.
6. (initial capital letter) Diaspora ( def 1 ).

dispersion

¹

/ dɪˈspɜːʃən /

noun

1. See dispersal
   another word for dispersal
2. physics
   1. the separation of electromagnetic radiation into constituents of different wavelengths
   2. a measure of the ability of a substance to separate by refraction, expressed by the first differential of the refractive index with respect to wavelength at a given value of wavelength D
3. statistics the degree to which values of a frequency distribution are scattered around some central point, usually the arithmetic mean or median
4. chem a system containing particles dispersed in a solid, liquid, or gas
5. military the pattern of fire from a weapon system
6. 1. the range of speeds of such objects as the stars in a galaxy
   2. the frequency-dependent retardation of radio waves as they pass through the interstellar medium
   3. the deviation of a rocket from its prescribed path
7. ecology the distribution pattern of an animal or a plant population

Dispersion

²

/ dɪˈspɜːʃən /

noun

1. See Diaspora
   the Dispersion
   the Dispersion another name for the Diaspora

dispersion

/ dĭ-spûr′zhən /

1. The separation by refraction of light or other radiation into individual components of different wavelengths. Dispersion results in most materials because a material's index of refraction depends on the wavelength of the radiation passing through it; thus different wavelengths entering a material along the same path will fan out into different paths within it. Prisms, for example, diffuse white light (which contains an even mixture of visible wavelengths) into its variously colored components; rainbows are an effect of dispersion in water droplets.

Other Words From

• non·dis·per·sion noun
• pre·dis·per·sion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dispersion¹

1350–1400; Middle English dispersio ( u ) n (< Anglo-French ) < Latin dispersiōn- (stem of dispersiō ), equivalent to dispers ( us ) ( disperse ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

Dispersion is an accuracy-related metric that tracks performance under varying environmental conditions.

From Washington Post

The more technical term is a radiological dispersion device.

From MIT Technology Review

So she worked with local musicians to meticulously track the dispersion of air from instruments with mouthpieces.

From Science News

Using measurements of this dispersion, Hagstotz and colleagues estimated the distances to nine FRBs.

From Science News

This resulted in an unprecedented dispersion of property ownership.

From The Daily Beast

Egyptian president Morsi prays fervently in front row as an imam calls for the dispersion of the Jews.

From The Daily Beast

Geographical dispersion also presents cheating opportunities.

From The Daily Beast

Here are four distinct predictions; national peculiarity, grievous oppression, universal dispersion and remarkable preservation.

From Project Gutenberg

The dispersion of the gusts shakes the streaming locks of the wind upon the four corners of the horizon.

From Project Gutenberg

In February, 1778, there was almost a famine in the camp, and Washington feared a general mutiny and dispersion.

From Project Gutenberg

The elaboration of the meanings of the Swastika indicated above and its dispersion or migrations form the subject of this paper.

From Project Gutenberg

The camp was stormed, and with the dispersion of its defenders the revolt came suddenly to an end.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• diffusion