So much for the effort and ingenuity of Montmartre. All the catering to vice and waste was on an utterly childish scale, and he suddenly realized the meaning of the word "dissipate"—to dissipate into thin air; to make nothing out of something.
Wikipedia foundation.
dissipate — dis si*pate (d[i^]s s[i^]*p[=a]t), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Dissipated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Dissipating}.] [L. dissipatus, p. p. of dissipare; dis + an obsolete verb sipare, supare. to throw.] 1. To scatter completely; to disperse and cause to… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
dissipate — dis·si·pate / di sə ˌpāt/ vt pat·ed, pat·ing: to use (marital assets) for one s own benefit and to the exclusion of one s spouse for a purpose unrelated to the marriage at a time when the marriage is undergoing an irretrievable breakdown… … Law dictionary
dissipate — [v1] expend, spend be wasteful with, blow*, burn up*, consume, deplete, dump*, fritter away, indulge oneself, kiss goodbye*, lavish, misspend, misuse, run through, squander, throw away, trifle away, use up, waste; concepts 156,169 Ant. accumulate … New thesaurus
Dissipate — Dis si*pate, v. i. 1. To separate into parts and disappear; to waste away; to scatter; to disperse; to vanish; as, a fog or cloud gradually dissipates before the rays or heat of the sun; the heat of a body dissipates. [1913 Webster] 2. To be… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
dissipate — (v.) early 15c., from L. dissipatus, pp. of dissipare to spread abroad, scatter, disperse; squander, disintegrate, from dis apart (see DIS (Cf. dis )) + supare to throw, scatter, from PIE *swep to throw, sling, cast (Cf. Lit. supu to swing, rock … Etymology dictionary
dissipate — 1 dispel, disperse, *scatter Analogous words: disintegrate, crumble (see DECAY): *separate, part, divide: deliquesce, melt (see LIQUEFY) Antonyms: accumulate (possessions, wealth, a mass of things): absorb (one s energies, one s attention):… … New Dictionary of Synonyms
dissipate — ► VERB 1) be or cause to be dispelled or dispersed. 2) waste (money, energy, or resources). DERIVATIVES dissipative adjective dissipator (also dissipater) noun. ORIGIN Latin dissipare scatter … English terms dictionary
dissipate — [dis′ə pāt΄] vt. dissipated, dissipating [ME dissipaten < L dissipatus, pp. of dissipare, to scatter < dis , apart + supare, to throw < IE base * swep > Sans svapū, broom, LowG swabbeln, to SWAB] 1. to break up and scatter; dispel;… … English World dictionary
dissipate — UK [ˈdɪsɪpeɪt] / US [ˈdɪsɪˌpeɪt] verb Word forms dissipate : present tense I/you/we/they dissipate he/she/it dissipates present participle dissipating past tense dissipated past participle dissipated formal 1) [intransitive/transitive] to… … English dictionary
dissipate — dissipater, dissipator, n. dissipative, adj. dissipativity /dis euh peuh tiv i tee/, n. /dis euh payt /, v., dissipated, dissipating. v.t. 1. to scatter in various directions; disperse; dispel. 2. to spend or use wastefully or extravagantly;… … Universalium
