DISSOCIATION  , a separation or dispersal, the opposite of association . In

chemistry the term is given to chemical reactions in which a substance decomposes into two or more substances, and particularly to cases in which associated molecules break down into simpler molecules . Thus the reactions NH4C I NH3+HC 1, and PCl Ee PCl 8+C12 are instances of theconnected with dizen, in modern English seen in " bedizen," to deck out or embellish, originally " to equip the distaff with flax, &c.," cf. the German dialectal word Diesse, flax . The last part of the word is " staff." " Distaff " from early times has been used to symbolize woman's work (cf. the use of " spinster " for an unmarried woman); thus the" distaff " or "spindle " side of a family refers to the female branch, as opposed to the " spear " or male branch . The 7th of January, the day after Epiphany, was formerly known as St Distaff's day, as women then began work again after the Christmas holiday .