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Dispersed vs Discrete - What's the difference?

dispersed | discrete |

As a verb dispersed

is (disperse).

As an adjective discrete is

.

dispersed

English

Verb

(head)
  • (disperse)

  • 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

    * * ----

    discrete

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Separate; distinct; individual; non-continuous.
  • That can be perceived individually and not as connected to, or part of something else.
  • (electrical engineering) Having separate electronic components, such as individual resistors and inductors — the opposite of integrated circuitry.
  • (audio engineering) Having separate and independent channels of audio, as opposed to multiplexed stereo or quadraphonic, or other multi-channel sound.
  • (topology) Having each singleton subset open: said of a topological space or a topology.
  • disjunctive; containing a disjunctive or discretive clause
  • "I resign my life, but not my honour" is a discrete proposition.

    Usage notes

    * Often confused with discreet.

    Derived terms

    * discrete variable * discreteness

    Antonyms

    * continuous * (electrical engineering) integrated * (audio engineering) multiplexed

    Anagrams

    * ----