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disburse

dis·burse [ diss búrss ] (past and past participle dis·bursed, present participle dis·burs·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·burs·es)


transitive verb 
Definition:
 
pay: to pay out money, especially from a fund ( formal )

[Mid-16th century. < Old French desbourser "remove from the purse" < bourse "purse"]

dis·burs·a·ble adjective
dis·burse·ment noun
dis·burs·er noun

Spelling Note

disburse or disperse? Do not confuse the spelling of disburse and disperse, which sound similar. Disburse is largely restricted to formal contexts and refers specifically to paying out money: All the funds have been disbursed. Disperse, the more frequent of the two verbs, means "scatter," "cause to go away," or "disappear": The crowds dispersed.

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