dispersion
UK: dɪˈspɜːʃən | US: dɪˈspɜːrʒən
n. the action or process of distributing things or people over a wide area
n. (Physics) the separation of light into its constituent colors
n. (Statistics) the degree of scatter in a data set
Derived from Latin dispersio, from dispergere ("to scatter"), combining dis- (apart) and spargere (to sprinkle). The root pers evolved from spargere, retaining the core idea of spreading or scattering. Over time, dispersion broadened from physical scattering (e.g., seeds) to abstract concepts like light refraction and statistical distribution.
The dispersion of pollen by wind helps plants reproduce.
A prism causes the dispersion of white light into a rainbow.
High dispersion in the data set indicates significant variability.
Urbanization led to the dispersion of rural populations.
Scientists study the dispersion of pollutants in the atmosphere.