Definitions for scatter
ˈskæt ərscat·ter

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. scatter, spreadnoun

   a haphazard distribution in all directions

2. scatter, scattering, strewingverb

   the act of scattering

3. disperse, dissipate, dispel, break up, scatterverb

   to cause to separate and go in different directions

   "She waved her hand and scattered the crowds"

4. disperse, dissipate, scatter, spread outverb

   move away from each other

   "The crowds dispersed"; "The children scattered in all directions when the teacher approached";

5. scatter, sprinkle, dot, dust, disperseverb

   distribute loosely

   "He scattered gun powder under the wagon"

6. scatterverb

   sow by scattering

   "scatter seeds"

7. break up, disperse, scatterverb

   cause to separate

   "break up kidney stones"; "disperse particles"

8. spread, scatter, spread outverb

   strew or distribute over an area

   "He spread fertilizer over the lawn"; "scatter cards across the table"

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. scatterverb

   To (cause to) separate and go in different directions; to disperse.

2. scatterverb

   To distribute loosely as by sprinkling.

   Her ashes were scattered at the top of a waterfall.

3. scatterverb

   To deflect (radiation or particles).

4. scatterverb

   To occur or fall at widely spaced intervals.

5. Etymology: From scateren, from sceaterian, probably from a dialect of Old Norse. Compare Low German schateren, Dutch schateren and Norwegian skratte ('to burst out laughing').

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. To SCATTERverb

   Etymology: scateran , Saxon; schatteren, Dutch.

   1. To throw loosely about; to sprinkle.

   Where cattle pastur’d late, now scatter’d lies
   With carcases and arms th’ ensanguin’d field. John Milton.

   Teach the glad hours to scatter, as they fly,
   Soft quiet, gentle love, and endless joy. Matthew Prior.

   Corruption, still
   Voracious, swallow’d what the liberal hand
   Of bounty scatter’d o’er the savage year. James Thomson.

   2. To dissipate; to disperse.

   A king, that sitteth in the throne of judgment, scattereth away all evil with his eyes. Prov. xx. 8.

   The Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard with scattering and tempest and stones. Is. xxx. 30.

   Samuel came not to Gilgal, and the people were scattered from Saul. 1 Sa. xiii. 8.

   Adam by this from the cold sudden damp
   Recovering, and his scatter’d sp’rits return’d. John Milton.

   3. To spread thinly.

   Why should my muse enlarge on Libyan swains,
   Their scatter’d cottages and ample plains. Dryden.

2. To Scatterverb

   To be dissipated; to be dispersed.

   Sound diffuseth itself in rounds; but if that which would scatter in open air, be made to go into a canal, it gives greater force to the sound. Francis Bacon.

   The sun
   Shakes from his noon-day throne the scattering clouds. James Thomson.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. scatter

   Scatter generally refers to the act or process of dispersing, distributing, or spreading something widely in different directions or over a broad area. It can also refer to the act of separating and moving in different directions. In context, it could also indicate a measurement of the variability, or spread of data points in statistics, or the path of light in physics when it encounters an object or medium and deflects in various directions.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Scatterverb

   to strew about; to sprinkle around; to throw down loosely; to deposit or place here and there, esp. in an open or sparse order

2. Scatterverb

   to cause to separate in different directions; to reduce from a close or compact to a loose or broken order; to dissipate; to disperse

3. Scatterverb

   hence, to frustrate, disappoint, and overthrow; as, to scatter hopes, plans, or the like

4. Scatterverb

   to be dispersed or dissipated; to disperse or separate; as, clouds scatter after a storm

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Scatter

   skat′ėr, v.t. to disperse in all directions: to throw loosely about: to strew: to sprinkle: to dispel: to put to flight: to drop: to throw shot too loosely.—v.i. to be dispersed or dissipated.—n. Scatt′erbrain, a thoughtless, giddy person.—adjs. Scatt′er-brained, giddy; Scatt′ered, widely separated: wandering: distracted: irregular.—ns. Scatt′erer, one who or that which scatters; Scatt′er-good, a spendthrift; Scatt′er-gun, a shot-gun; Scatt′ering, something scattered: dispersion: that which has been scattered: the irregular reflection of light from a surface not perfectly smooth.—adj. dispersing: rare, sporadic: diversified.—adv. Scatt′eringly, in a dispersed manner: here and there.—ns. Scatt′erling (Spens.), one who has no fixed abode: a vagabond; Scatt′ermouch, any Latin or Levantine, in Pacific slang.—adj. Scatt′ery, dispersed: sparse: few and far between. [A.S. scateran, scaterian; cf. Shatter.]

Matched Categories

1. • Change Integrity
   • Distribution
   • Sow

British National Corpus

1. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'scatter' in Verbs Frequency: #833

How to pronounce scatter?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say scatter in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of scatter in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of scatter in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of scatter in a Sentence

1. Suzy Kassem:

   Wise words are like seeds. The more you scatter them, the more they will grow into infinite gardens of knowledge.

2. Saadi Shirazi:

   Be thou generous, and gentle, and forgiving; as God hath scattered upon thee, scatter thou upon others.

3. Ralph Waldo Emerson:

   There is no beautifier of complexion, or form, or behavior, like the wish to scatter joy and not pain around us.

4. Jonathan Davis:

   We know dark matter exists around galaxies and we want to ask — if light from the galaxy can scatter off the dark matter, like a dust cloud, can you actually observe this light?

5. Italian Proverb:

   If you scatter thorns, don't go barefoot.

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