-sperse, -spersed, -spersing, -spersion; spars-; -spargic

Referring to the spreading or scattering of something by water.

1. To spread false or damaging charges or insinuations against someone.
2. To sprinkle, especially with holy water.
3. To attack with false, malicious, and damaging charges or insinuations; to slander.
4. To sprinkle; to bespatter.
5. Etymology: From Middle English, "to besprinkle", from Latin aspergere, aspers-; from ad- plus spargere, "to strew, to spread".

1. A statement that attacks someone's character or reputation: Shirley cast aspersions on Bill's integrity and honesty as a reporter.
2. The act of making slanderous, damaging, or defamatory remarks: Laura said that such vehement aspersions about the store's products couldn't be ignored.

The politician tried to talk about his political opponents respectfully and not to cast any aspersions about them.
3. Sometimes the act of sprinkling holy water by a minister as in baptism: Mack's little baby received aspersions by the priest.
4. Etymology: from late Middle English signifying the sprinkling of water; especially, at baptism; from Latin aspers, "sprinkled"; from the verb aspergere; from ad-, "to" + spargere, "sprinkle".

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1. To drive or send off in various directions; to scatter: The police tried to disperse the crowd of protesters.
2. To spread widely; to disseminate: The role of the university is to disperse knowledge.
3. To dispel; to cause to vanish: The wind is dispersing the fog.
4. To cause particles to separate uniformly throughout a solid, a liquid, or a gas: For the face cream Susan needed, the pharmacist suggested that it should have certain ingredients that are dispersed evenly for the best results of her skin.
5. To dissipate, to cause the disappearance of, to scatter, to dilute: After Michael added the sugar to his hot tea, he stirred it and the sugar dispersed evenly and was completely dissolved. © ALL rights are reserved.

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1. The scattering or distribution of something within an area or space.
2. A condition of, a fact of, or a state of being spread, scattered, or distributed.
3. A chemistry medium with dispersed particles; a chemical system consisting of a gas, liquid, or colloid containing dispersed particles.
4. In the 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.

To sprinkle or to scatter around.

The act of sprinkling with a fluid or a powder.

The act of combining one thing at intervals within other things: "The artist made an interspersal of illustrations in various parts of the contents of the text."

1. To distribute or to scatter among other things at intervals: The contractor interspersed red and blue tiles on the floor of the bathroom.

A person should always try to intersperse praise with constructive criticism.

2. To supply or diversify with things positioned at intervals: There were several interspersed lamp fixtures on the large ceiling of the underground parking area of the hospital that provided excellent light for those who were looking for a place to park and to walk safely to the elevator and get to their medical appointments. 

The TV program was interspersed with several advertisements.

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© ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.

The placement of objects, either randomly or in a pattern, among other items: The interspersion of the red and green leaves in the holiday wreath for the door was very cheerful and attractive.

A description of something that is spread around or mixed with milk.

Composing molecules of the same mass or of a similar mass.

Characterized by particles of uniform or a similar size in a mixed phase: "A collection of objects is called monodisperse or uniform when the objects have the same size, shape, or mass."

To spread molecules or elements of different sizes.

Relating to, characterized by, or characterized as particles of varied sizes in the mixed phase of a system: "A sample of objects that have an inconsistent size, shape and mass distribution is called polydisperse group or a non-uniform existence of particles."