disintegrate








verb (used without object), dis·in·te·grat·ed, dis·in·te·grat·ing.

  1. to separate into parts or lose intactness or solidness; break up; deteriorate: The old book is gradually disintegrating with age.
  2. Physics.
    1. to decay.
    2. (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.

  1. to reduce to particles, fragments, or parts; break up or destroy the cohesion of: Rocks are disintegrated by frost and rain.

verb

  1. to break or be broken into fragments or constituent parts; shatter
  2. to lose or cause to lose cohesion or unity
  3. (intr) to lose judgment or control; deteriorate
  4. physics
    1. to induce or undergo nuclear fission, as by bombardment with fast particles
    2. another word for decay (def. 3)
v.

1796, from dis- “do the opposite of” + integrate (v.). Related: Disintegrated; disintegrating.

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