---
title: dispersal — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «dispersal» in the school dictionary: Spreading things out over a wide area: seed dispersal. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# dispersal

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**Who acts:** Making, Dandelion seeds, Birds, Coconuts, water, police · **What happens:** spread out, make, break up, go in, use, help · **To what, where:** things, wide area, crowd, different directions, wind, berries

<!-- .vabout -->
«dispersal» in the school dictionary: its 2 meanings for a pupil and its 6 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [dispersal in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/dispersal.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Spreading things out over a wide area: seed dispersal.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:dispersal:m1:1
# text = Spreading things out over a wide area: seed dispersal.
1	Spreading	spread	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
2	things	thing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	obj	_	_
3	out	out	ADV	RB	_	1	advmod	_	_
4	over	over	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	wide	wide	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	area	area	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	10	punct	_	_
9	seed	seed	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	dispersal	dispersal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **spread out** | gerund |  | things |  | a wide area and seed dispersal |  | out *property* | vn spray-9.7-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent thing=Theme over area=Destination |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Making a crowd or group break up and go in different directions.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:dispersal:m2:1
# text = Making a crowd or group break up and go in different directions.
1	Making	make	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	csubj	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	crowd	crowd	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
5	group	group	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	conj	_	_
6	break	break	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	up	up	ADP	RP	_	6	compound:prt	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	go	go	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	conj	_	_
10	in	in	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
11	different	different	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	directions	direction	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | gerund |  | a crowd or group |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset crowd=Product |
| 2 | **break up** | present | Making |  |  |  |  |  | vn break-45.1 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 3 | **go in** | infinitive | Making *not said here* | different directions |  |  |  |  | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Dandelion seeds use the wind for dispersal.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:dispersal:x1:1
# text = Dandelion seeds use the wind for dispersal.
1	Dandelion	dandelion	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	compound	_	_
2	seeds	seed	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	use	use	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	wind	wind	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	dispersal	dispersal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | present | Dandelion seeds | the wind |  |  |  | for dispersal | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP PP.predicate»: agent=Agent wind=Theme for dispersal=Eventuality |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Birds help with seed dispersal when they eat berries.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:dispersal:x2:1
# text = Birds help with seed dispersal when they eat berries.
1	Birds	bird	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	help	help	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	with	with	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	seed	seed	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
5	dispersal	dispersal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	8	mark	_	_
7	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
8	eat	eat	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	advcl	_	_
9	berries	berry	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **help** | present | Birds |  |  |  |  | with seed dispersal | vn help-72.1-1-1 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent with dispersal=Theme |
| 2 | **eat** | present | Birds *= bird* | berries |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent berry=Patient |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Coconuts float, so water helps their dispersal.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:dispersal:x3:1
# text = Coconuts float, so water helps their dispersal.
1	Coconuts	coconut	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	float	float	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
4	so	so	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
5	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
6	helps	help	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
7	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	dispersal	dispersal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **float** | present | Coconuts |  |  |  |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **help** | present | water | Coconuts's dispersal |  |  |  |  | vn help-72.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent dispersal=Beneficiary |
| 3 | **disperse** |  | Coconuts *= coconut* |  |  |  |  |  | nom dispersal «act transitive»: poss=agent |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The police ordered the dispersal of the crowd.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:dispersal:x4:1
# text = The police ordered the dispersal of the crowd.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	police	police	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	ordered	order	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	dispersal	dispersal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	crowd	crowd	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **order** | past | the police | the dispersal of the crowd |  |  |  |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent dispersal=Theme |
| 2 | **disperse** |  |  | the crowd |  |  |  |  | nom dispersal «act transitive»: of=patient |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
We learned about seed dispersal in science.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:dispersal:x5:1
# text = We learned about seed dispersal in science.
1	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	learned	learn	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	about	about	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	seed	seed	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
5	dispersal	dispersal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	science	science	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **learn** | past | We |  |  |  |  | about seed dispersal in science | vn learn-14-2-1 «NP V PP.topic»: agent=Agent about dispersal=Topic |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The dispersal of the smoke took an hour.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:dispersal:x6:1
# text = The dispersal of the smoke took an hour.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	dispersal	dispersal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	smoke	smoke	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
6	took	take	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	hour	hour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **take** | past | the dispersal of the smoke |  |  |  | hour |  | vn bring-11.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **disperse** |  |  | the smoke |  |  |  |  | nom dispersal «act transitive»: of=patient |

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**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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