Dissipate
/ˈdɪs.ɪ.peɪt/noun
To scatter, disperse, or waste something, especially energy, money, or attention.
Did you know?Dissipate comes from Latin roots tied to scattering pieces apart, and in older usage it could describe a crowd, a fog, or even a force being broken up and sent away.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*per-
“to sell, distribute, or apportion”
Latin
Latin
dis- + supare / supare
“to scatter in different directions”
Late Latin
Latin
dissipatus
“scattered, dispersed”
Middle French
Old French
dissiper
“to scatter, waste, or drive away”
16th Century
English
dissipate
“to scatter or disperse; later, to waste or squander”
Modern English
English
dissipate
“to disperse, vanish, or waste gradually”