Dissipate

Dissipate is a verb with several related senses. It can mean to scatter or disappear, as when fog or mist dissipates; to squander or waste, as when resources are dissipated. In physical contexts, it also refers to causing energy or a signal to spread out and lose intensity, typically converting to heat.

In science, dissipation denotes the irreversible conversion of energy from a useful to a less useful form. For example, friction and viscosity in thermodynamics and fluid mechanics dissipate kinetic energy as heat. In electrical engineering, energy is dissipated as heat in resistors, and in acoustics, absorbed sound energy is dissipated by materials.

In everyday use, dissipation can describe the fading of a mood, tension, or crowd as a gathering ends, or the fading of a rumor. In meteorology, a storm or wave system may dissipate when it loses energy and coherence.

Etymology: the word derives from Latin dissipare, meaning to scatter or squander, and entered English through late Latin or Old French. Related forms include dissipation (the noun) and dissipative (the adjective), which preserve the core idea of energy spreading out and diminishing in usefulness.