disintegrate

verb [I]

/dɪˈsɪn.tɪ.ɡreɪt/

/-t̬ə-/

Definition

› to become weaker or be destroyed by breaking into small pieces: The spacecraft disintegrated as it entered the Earth's atmosphere. The Ottoman Empire disintegrated into lots of small states.Tearing and breaking into pieces › to become much worse: The situation disintegrated into chaos.Deteriorating and making worse disintegration

/dɪˌsɪn.tɪˈɡreɪ.ʃən/

/ˌdɪs.ɪn.t̬ə-/ noun [U] › social disintegration the gradual disintegration of family valuesTearing and breaking into pieces

(Definition of disintegrate verb from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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