Delocalises

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To cause electrons or other particles to spread out over several atoms or positions rather than being confined to one; to remove from a specific or localized area; to disperse or distribute beyond a fixed point
2. To enable the distribution of electrons or energy across multiple centers instead of staying restricted to one; to free from a particular locality or place; to spread widely across an area or system
3. To shift particles such as electrons so they are shared or spread among various locations instead of being centered; to take away from a definite site; to scatter or extend over a broad region

Etymology: "Delocalises" is the third-person singular present form of "delocalise", so the verb itself is a simple inflection and its history rests on the verb. That verb is formed from the prefix "de-", meaning "away from" or "removal of", attached to "localise", which itself comes from "local", ultimately from Latin "locus", meaning "place". Taken together, the parts literally mean something like "remove from a place." The chemical sense of the word, in which electrons or other charges spread over several atoms or a larger structure rather than staying fixed to one, is the one that gives it its most specific use. Earlier and more general senses, such as taking something away from a definite site or scattering it over a wide area, follow the same logic: the place-anchoring idea is reversed. The prefix does the work of undoing "localise," which is why the verb reads as a direct opposite of its base.

Synonyms: delocalize, decentralize, distribute, spread out, disperse

Antonyms: localize, centralize, concentrate, focus, gather