disintegrate: Meaning and Definition of

dis•in•te•grate

Pronunciation: (dis-in'tu-grāt"), [key]
— v., -grat•ed, -grat•ing.
—v.i.
  1. to separate into parts or lose intactness or solidness; break up; deteriorate: The old book is gradually disintegrating with age.
    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.
—v.t.
  1. to reduce to particles, fragments, or parts; break up or destroy the cohesion of: Rocks are disintegrated by frost and rain.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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