dissipation

English

Pronunciation

Noun

dissipation (plural dissipations)

  1. The act of dissipating or dispersing; a state of dispersion or separation; dispersion; waste.
  2. A dissolute course of life, in which health, money, etc., are squandered in pursuit of pleasure; profuseness in vicious indulgence, as late hours, riotous living, etc.; dissoluteness.
    • 1913, Robert Barr, chapter 4, Lord Stranleigh Abroad[1]:
      “… This is a surprise attack, and I’d no wish that the garrison, forewarned, should escape. I am sure, Lord Stranleigh, that he has been descanting on the distraction of the woods and the camp, or perhaps the metropolitan dissipation of Philadelphia, …”
  3. A trifle which wastes time or distracts attention.
  4. (physics) A loss of energy, usually as heat, from a dynamic system

Translations

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French

Etymology

From dissiper +‎ -tion

Noun

dissipation f (plural dissipations)

  1. clearing, dissipation, disappearance
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Last modified on 14 December 2012, at 00:24