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Derail vs Disperse - What's the difference?

derail | disperse |

As verbs the difference between derail and disperse

is that derail is to cause to come off the tracks while disperse is .

As a noun derail

is a device placed on railway tracks causing a train to derail.

derail

English

(wikipedia derail)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A device placed on railway tracks causing a train to derail.
  • The derail was placed deliberately so that the train would fall into the river.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To cause to come off the tracks.
  • The train was destroyed when it was derailed by the penny.
  • To come off the tracks.
  • To deviate from the previous course or direction.
  • The conversation derailed once James brought up politics.
  • To cause to deviate from a set course or direction.
  • The protesting students derailed the professor's lecture.

    Derived terms

    * derailment

    Anagrams

    * * * * * English ergative verbs

    disperse

    English

    Verb

  • (intransitive) To scatter in different directions
  • The Jews are dispersed among all nations.
  • * Bible, Proverbs xv. 7
  • The lips of the wise disperse knowledge.
  • * Cowper
  • Two lions, in the still, dark night, / A herd of beeves disperse .
  • (intransitive) To break up and disappear; to dissipate
  • (intransitive) To disseminate
  • (physics, transitive, intransitive) To separate rays of light etc. according to wavelength; to refract
  • (intransitive) To distribute throughout
  • Usage notes

    * Do not confuse with the monetary word disburse, despite similarity.

    Anagrams

    * * ----