smatter
Americanverb (used with object)
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to speak (a language, words, etc.) with superficial knowledge or understanding.
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to dabble in.
noun
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a slight or superficial knowledge; smattering.
She gets by with only a smatter of musical knowledge.
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a small amount or number; smattering.
a smatter of applause; smatters of nervous laughter.
noun
verb
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rare (intr) to prattle
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archaic (tr) to dabble in
Other Word Forms
- smatterer noun
Etymology
Origin of smatter
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English; further origin uncertain; perhaps from Scandinavian; Danish, Norwegian smadre “to splash, smash (to pieces),” Swedish smattra “to clatter, rattle” ( Middle Low German smetern “to chatter”), but the semantic development is unclear
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.
The 66,000-capacity ground had only a few hundred spectators but a smattering of Italian fans turned up to cheer on their team's debut.
From Barron's
The Israeli team also received a smattering of boos when it entered the stadium for the athletes' parade.
From Barron's
Big picture: A smattering of manufacturers are doing pretty well — those involved in artificial intelligence, for instance, and companies such as steelmakers that have been shielded from competition due to U.S. tariffs.
From MarketWatch
Staff economists and a smattering of Fed governors and bank presidents mentioned a “dangerous virus in China,” as San Francisco Fed chief Mary Daly put it.
From MarketWatch
I hear a cello, and soon musician David Low stands before me, recounting the day the flames began and the rush to remove his young son from school to help rescue a smattering of heirlooms.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
