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dis‧in‧te‧grate
1 [intransitive and transitive] to break up, or make something break up, into very small pieces : The plane just disintegrated in mid-air.
The plane just disintegrated in mid-air.2 [intransitive] to become weaker or less united and be gradually destroyed : a society disintegrating under economic pressures
a society disintegrating under economic pressures —disintegration noun [uncountable] the disintegration of the Soviet empire into separate republics
WORD FOCUS: break noun [uncountable] the disintegration of the Soviet empire into separate republicsWORD FOCUS: break smash with a lot of force
shatter into many pieces
split into two pieces
snap into two pieces, with a sudden loud noise
tear paper/cloth
burst pipe/tyre/balloon
crumble break into a lot of small pieces
disintegrate break into a lot of small pieces and be destroyed
fracture if a bone fractures or you fracture it, it breaks slightly so that a small line appears on the surface
➔ See also break
