- to separate into parts or lose intactness or solidness; break up; deteriorate: The old book is gradually disintegrating with age.
- Physics.
- to decay.
- (of a nucleus) to change into one or more different nuclei after being bombarded by high-energy particles, as alpha particles or gamma rays.
- to reduce to particles, fragments, or parts; break up or destroy the cohesion of: Rocks are disintegrated by frost and rain.
- to break or be broken into fragments or constituent parts; shatter
- to lose or cause to lose cohesion or unity
- to lose judgment or control; deteriorate
- physics
- to induce or undergo nuclear fission, as by bombardment with fast particles
- another word for decay (def. 3)
