smattering
Americannoun
-
a slight, superficial, or introductory knowledge of something.
a smattering of Latin.
-
a small amount or number.
She’s written a smattering of poetry.
adjective
noun
-
a slight or superficial knowledge
-
a small amount
Other Word Forms
- smatteringly adverb
Etymology
Origin of smattering
First recorded in 1530–40; smatter + -ing 1 ( def. ).
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.
