Looking up...
La police disperse la foule calmement.
The police disperse the crowd calmly.
to scatter or spread in different directions
Le vent disperse les feuilles mortes.
The wind scatters the dead leaves.
La foule sest dispersée après le concert.
The crowd scattered after the concert.
to waste effort or attention on many things
Il se disperse trop au lieu de réviser.
He spreads himself too thin instead of studying.
From Latin dispergere, to scatter abroad, from dis- plus spargere.