scatter
Americanverb (used with object)
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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)
noun
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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
Related Words
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
- scatterable adjective
- scatterer noun
- scatteringly adverb
Etymology
Origin of scatter
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English scatere; compare Dutch schateren “to burst out laughing”
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.
A pat of butter melting into everything, a scatter of cheese, a cool spoonful of sour cream.
From Salon • Mar. 25, 2026
These tiny particles scatter sunlight, filtering out the shorter blue and violet wavelengths and letting the longer red and orange tones shine through.
From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026
With only a handful of halfpipes in the world, the best snowboarders congregate for month-long training sessions, but scatter back to their homes to reset between the camps.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026
In retaliation for propaganda dumps, North Korea in 2024 sent scores of trash-filled balloons to scatter waste across the South.
From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026
Mr. Patterson read a chart of Casco Bay, and Sookie steered us closer to a scatter of islands covered in tall pine trees.
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
