scatter
Americanverb (used with object)
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scatters,
present (3rd person singular)
-
scattered,
past participle, past
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scattering
present participle
-
to throw loosely about; distribute at irregular intervals.
to scatter seeds.
- Synonyms:
- broadcast
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to separate and drive off in various directions; disperse.
to scatter a crowd.
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Physics.
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to refract or diffract (light or otherelectromagnetic radiation ) irregularly so as to diffuse in many directions.
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(of a medium) to diffuse or deflect (light or other wave phenomena) by collisions between the wave and particles of the medium.
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verb (used without object)
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scatters,
present (3rd person singular)
-
scattered,
past participle, past
-
scattering
present participle
noun
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scatters
plural
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the act of scattering.
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something that is scattered.
verb
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(tr) to throw about in various directions; strew
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to separate and move or cause to separate and move in various directions; disperse
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to deviate or cause to deviate in many directions, as in the diffuse reflection or refraction of light
noun
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the act of scattering
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a substance or a number of objects scattered about
Synonym Usage
See sprinkle. Scatter, dispel, disperse, dissipate imply separating and driving something away so that its original form disappears. To scatter is to separate something tangible into parts at random, and drive these in different directions: The wind scattered leaves all over the lawn. To dispel is to drive away or scatter usually intangible things so that they vanish or cease to exist: Photographs of the race dispelled all doubts as to which horse won. To disperse is usually to cause a compact or organized tangible body to separate or scatter in different directions, to be reassembled if desired: Tear gas dispersed the mob. To dissipate is usually to scatter by dissolving or reducing to small atoms or parts that cannot be brought together again: He dissipated his money and his energy in useless activities.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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scattersimple
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scatterssimple
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have scatteredperfect
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has scatteredperfect
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am scatteringprogressive
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are scatteringprogressive
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is scatteringprogressive
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have been scatteringperfect progressive
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has been scatteringperfect progressive
Past
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scatteredsimple
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had scatteredperfect
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was scatteringprogressive
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were scatteringprogressive
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had been scatteringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of scatter
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English scatere; compare Dutch schateren “to burst out laughing”
Explanation
If you hear someone shout "Everybody scatter!” that person wants everyone to spread out and leave the area. Scatter is a verb that means "to separate suddenly and spread out in different directions." Scatter is sometimes used as a noun to refer to something that has been scattered. If you have clothes strewn all over your room, you might say there is a scatter of clothes on the floor. More commonly, though, scatter is used as a verb meaning “to spread about.” You might scatter grass seed on your front lawn in the spring. Scatter can also mean “break up or disperse.” The police, for instance, might scatter an unruly mob or gathering.
Vocabulary lists containing scatter
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Bronx Masquerade
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
They used mass photometry, a technique developed at Oxford that determines the mass of individual molecules by measuring the light they scatter.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026
It is claimed these invalidated his advice and "infected" the secretary of state's decision and Sir Chris showed "scatter gun decision-making" and had "misdirected himself".
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
The firm argued that bypassing traditional exchange rules could fragment liquidity, or scatter trading activity across different platforms, and undermine investor protections.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Fallen leaves from a large tree scatter across the neatly trimmed front lawn.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
She screamed everything, and felt as though her very being broke apart in the soft scatter of wings.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
When light scatters inside a cell, it also experiences a tiny delay that changes its phase, or the timing of its wave peaks.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026
Another, in a blue tunic that echoes the sky, scatters wheat seeds in the new furrows.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Instead of allowing NIR photons to pass straight through the thin silicon layer, the textured surface scatters the light repeatedly, increasing the likelihood that the silicon absorbs it.
From Science Daily ● May 26, 2026
This is because the sunlight it reflects reaches us through a more dense part of the Earth's atmosphere which scatters blue and violet light, and means only the redder hues reach us.
From BBC ● Mar. 29, 2026
Out the window, the wind scatters the leaves across the road.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
The menus began modestly: my mom’s chicken noodle soup alongside store-bought tomato soup from the Whole Foods hot bar; my dad’s white chicken chili and a simple butternut squash soup scattered with chives.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026
Eagle Rock Resort, in Hazle Township, has hundreds of comfortable homes scattered through the woods, two golf courses, swimming pools, an equestrian center and even a few ski slopes for the winter.
From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026
Known as intracluster light, this diffuse glow comes from stars scattered into the spaces between galaxies.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
Pori, through his real-estate firm Kingsbarn Realty Capital, wants to build something similar to what Hazel Green Ranch’s former owner had proposed: a 150-room lodge and cabins scattered around the meadow’s perimeter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
The humans and fairies scattered, hiding under toadstools and within the orchards.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
This method relies on a familiar property of light: scattering.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
Additional experiments using isotopic labeling and neutron scattering showed how the structure of the starting polymer influences the resulting fuel.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026
The authority hired a falconer and a hawk, but it failed to successfully deter the birds and the plan was hampered by opponents to the measure scattering large quantities of bird feed.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
The agency said federal regulations allow sunroofs to be made with tempered glass, which must break into gravel-like pieces, or laminated glass, where pieces stay stuck to a plastic interlayer instead of scattering.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
The sumbook was opened, spine cracked, pencil marks in the margins, surrounded by a scattering of paper.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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