dispersal
/dɪˈspɜːsl
/noun [mass noun]
1The action or process of distributing or spreading things or people over a wide area: dispersal of pollen by the wind [count noun]: dispersals of archaic populations...
- We would also like to increase our understanding of population processes, such as dispersal and seedling recruitment.
- But the process of dispersal was so slow that the rate of faunal replacement between different groups was much slower than the process of evolution within them.
- One group will focus on natural processes that affect dispersal of genes such as wind, timing of plant flowering, or proximity to compatible wild relatives.
1.1The splitting up of a group of people, causing them to leave in different directions: the dispersal of the crowd by mounted police...
- Police have made 13 other dispersal directions.
- Sometimes protesters would be given clear direction and dispersal warnings.
- The report said Government policies of dispersal and direct provision acted to segregate asylum seekers from the community.
1.2The splitting up and selling off of a collection of artefacts or books: the dispersal of the John Willett Collection [count noun]: colleges had made large dispersals, and the shops were filled with books...
- The intense demand that existed for former Taozhai objects is apparent in the collection's dispersal throughout China and the world.
- To avoid any such dispersal of Basilevsky's collection of medieval and renaissance applied arts, Alexander II!
- During 1914, it was decided that the Society should limit its interests to New England, and the dispersal of its research collections was begun.
