"a rending asunder, a bursting apart, forcible separation into parts," early 15c., originally medical, "laceration of tissue," general sense from 1640s, from Medieval Latin disruptionem (nominative disruptio) "a breaking asunder," noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin disrumpere "break apart, split, shatter, break to pieces," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + rumpere "to break," from PIE root *runp- "to break" (see corrupt (adj.)).
