disintegrate
[ dis-in-tuh-greyt ]
/ dɪsˈɪn təˌgreɪt /
verb (used without object), dis·in·te·grat·ed, dis·in·te·grat·ing.
to separate into parts or lose intactness or solidness; break up; deteriorate: The old book is gradually disintegrating with age.
Physics.
- to decay.
- (of a nucleus) to change into one or more different nuclei after being bombarded by high-energy particles, as alpha particles or gamma rays.
verb (used with object), dis·in·te·grat·ed, dis·in·te·grat·ing.
to reduce to particles, fragments, or parts; break up or destroy the cohesion of: Rocks are disintegrated by frost and rain.
synonym study for disintegrate
1, 3. See
decay.
OTHER WORDS FROM disintegrate
dis·in·te·gra·ble [dis-in-tuh-gruh-buh l] /dɪsˈɪn tə grə bəl/, adjective dis·in·te·gra·tive, dis·in·te·gra·to·ry [dis-in-tuh-gruh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, -grey-tuh-ree] /dɪsˈɪn tə grəˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i, -ˌgreɪ tə ri/, adjective dis·in·te·gra·tor, noun non·dis·in·te·grat·ing, adjectiveWords nearby disintegrate
disingenuous,
disinherit,
disinhibition,
disinhume,
disinsertion,
disintegrate,
disintegration,
disintegration constant,
disinter,
disinterest,
disinterested
Example sentences from the Web for disintegrative
Hugo's romantic drama is as disintegrative, regular in construction, perspicuous, and eloquent as a tragedy of Corneille.
British Dictionary definitions for disintegrative
disintegrate
/ (dɪsˈɪntɪˌɡreɪt) /
verb
to break or be broken into fragments or constituent parts; shatter
to lose or cause to lose cohesion or unity
(intr)
to lose judgment or control; deteriorate
physics
- to induce or undergo nuclear fission, as by bombardment with fast particles
- another word for decay (def. 3)