I.v. a., to scatter on all sides, to scatter about, disperse (freq. and class., esp. in the part. perf.).
I. Lit.: “per agros passim dispergit corpus,” Cic. Poet. N. D. 3, 26, 67; cf. per hypallagen: “membrorum collectio dispersa (coupled with dissipare),” id. de Imp. Pomp. 9, 22 (but in Lucr. 3, 988, the right reading is: “dispessis membris, not dispersis, v. dispando): cur (deus) tam multa pestifera terra marique disperserit?” id. Ac. 2, 38, 120: “nubes dispergunt venti,” Lucr. 5, 254: “an tibi jam mavis cerebrum dispergam hic?” Ter. Ad. 5, 2, 7; for which: ut cerebro dispergat viam, besprinkle, id. ib. 3, 2, 19: “caprae dispergunt se, contra oves so congregant et condensant in locum unum,” Varr. R. R. 2, 3, 9; cf.: “comites dispersi,” Lucr. 4, 576; so the mid.: “dispersi, of persons,” Cic. Fl. 13, 30; id. Sest. 42, 91; “and esp. freq. of soldiers,” Caes. B. G. 1, 40, 8; 3, 28, 3; id. B. C. 1, 44, 1; 2, 38, 5 et saep.; Sall. J. 98, 4, et saep.; cf.: “dispersi a suis pars cedere, etc.,” id. ib. 51, 1; and in the verb. fin. act.: “quae (duo milia evocatorum) tota acie disperserat,” had distributed, Caes. B. C. 3, 88, 4: “fimum,” Plin. 18, 23, 53, § 193: “vitem traducibus dispergere atque disrarare,” Col. 5, 6, 36: lactuca dispergitur, set out, i. e. planted, id. 11, 3, 25: “color dispergitur omnis,” Lucr. 2, 831 (not disperditur, v. Lachm. ad h. l.): “ubi brachia et crura inaequaliter dispergit,” i. e. moves at random, Cels. 2, 6: “Mesopotamia vicatim dispersa,” i. e. divided, Plin. 6, 26, 30, § 117: “magna pars Judaeae vicis dispergitur,” Tac. H. 5, 8 et saep.—Poet.: “aries dispergit saxa (with effundere muros),” Luc. 1, 384 Cort.: “dispersa capillos,” id. 10, 84: “quo latior (res) est, in cunctas undique partis Plura modo dispargit et ab se corpora mittit,” Lucr. 2, 1135; so with in and acc., id. 1, 309; Caes. B. G. 6, 34, 1; Plin. 11, 37, 89, § 220: “tripartitum exercitum plures in manus,” Tac. A. 3, 74 al.: “aër dispargitur ad partis minutas corporis,” Lucr. 4, 895.
II. Trop.: “in praesentia tantummodo numeros et modos et partes argumentandi confuse et permixte dispersimus: post descripte ... ex hac copia digeremus,” Cic. Inv. 1, 30, 49; cf. id. de Or. 1, 42, 187; 191; Quint. 9, 3, 39: “bellum tam longe lateque dispersum,” Cic. de Imp. Pomp. 12, 35: “in re dispersa atque infinita,” Q. Cic. Pet. Cons. 1: “plebis vis soluta atque dispersa in multitudine,” Sall. J. 41, 6: “rumorem,” Tac. A. 4, 24: “falsos rumores,” id. H. 2, 96; and with acc. and inf.: “volgus fingendi avidum disperserat accitum in adoptionem,” had given out, id. ib. 2, 1: “membratim oportebit partis rei gestae dispergere in causam,” Cic. Inv. 1, 21, 30: “vitam in auras,” Verg. A. 11, 617; cf.: “partem voti in auras,” id. ib. 795.— Hence, adv. in two forms:
