Meaning & use
dispersers
Last updated
“dispersers” is a form of “disperser”.
Meanings
nouncountablebiology
In biology, an animal or other agent that carries seeds or spores away from the parent plant.
Grammar: Countable; the singular is 'disperser'. Use 'dispersers' for more than one.
Patterns
- seed dispersers
- dispersers of seeds
Birds and bats are important seed dispersers in tropical forests.
The loss of large dispersers can change the whole forest.
Wind and water also act as dispersers for some plants.
nouncountabletechnical
A device or substance that spreads particles, droplets, or gas over an area.
Grammar: Often used in technical descriptions of equipment or chemicals.
Patterns
- a disperser of something
- chemical dispersers
The factory installed new dispersers to reduce pollution.
Oil dispersers were sprayed on the spill.
Word forms
| singular | disperser |
|---|
Common combinations
- seed dispersers
- Seed dispersers help plants colonize new areas.
- important dispersers
- Fruit bats are important dispersers in many ecosystems.
- act as dispersers
- Some insects act as dispersers for fungi.
- loss of dispersers
- The loss of dispersers can lead to fewer new trees.
Synonyms and how they differ
- spreader
- Spreader is a general word for anything that spreads something; disperser is the technical term in biology.
- distributor
- Distributor is used for people or companies that supply goods, not for animals carrying seeds.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: dispersers or dispenser?
dispersers vs dispenser
A dispenser gives out something, like a soap dispenser; a disperser spreads things over an area.
Practice
Many trees rely on birds as seed ______ to spread their seeds.
Choose one answer.
'Dispersers' are the animals that carry seeds away. 'Dispensers' are machines that give out things, and 'disperses' is a verb, so it would not fit after 'seed'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dispersers”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.