scatter

verb

scat·ter | \ ˈska-tər

scattered; scattering; scatters

Definition of scatter

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to cause to separate widely

b : to cause to vanish

2 archaic : to fling away heedlessly : squander

3 : to distribute irregularly

4 : to sow by casting in all directions : strew

5a : to reflect irregularly and diffusely

b : to cause (a beam of radiation) to diffuse or disperse

6 : to divide into ineffectual small portions

intransitive verb

1 : to separate and go in various directions : disperse

2 : to occur or fall irregularly or at random

scatter

noun

Definition of scatter (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the act of scattering

2 : a small quantity or number irregularly distributed or strewn about : scattering

3 : the state or extent of being scattered especially : dispersion

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Choose the Right Synonym for scatter

Verb

scatter, disperse, dissipate, dispel mean to cause to separate or break up. scatter implies a force that drives parts or units irregularly in many directions. the bowling ball scattered the pins disperse implies a wider separation and a complete breaking up of a mass or group. police dispersed the crowd dissipate stresses complete disintegration or dissolution and final disappearance. the fog was dissipated by the morning sun dispel stresses a driving away or getting rid of as if by scattering. an authoritative statement that dispelled all doubt

Examples of scatter in a Sentence

Verb

The wind scattered the pile of leaves. The marbles scattered across the floor. She scattered the books on the table. He scatters his toys all around the house.

Noun

played before only a scatter of spectators in that huge stadium

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

See the thick black stripe of kohl on a third of the models at Jil Sander, the glossy red lips at Simone Rocha for Moncler, or the six crimson mouths scattered throughout the Tod’s show. — Monica Kim, Vogue, "The 5 Beauty Takeaways of Milan Fashion Week," 25 Feb. 2019 Open meeting spaces scattered throughout the towers encourage workers to change up their routines. — Dominique Fong And Shan Li, WSJ, "In the Office of Tomorrow, Tech Takes a Load Off—but Watch Out for Weight Gain," 22 Jan. 2019 That’s led to a staggering 129 million dead trees throughout the state, leaving dry kindling scattered throughout forests and creating severe fire conditions that blanket huge swaths of the state. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Why the Camp Fire in Northern California is so severe," 14 Nov. 2018 The only pop of color comes from the warm, light wood that’s scattered throughout the house. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "All-white concrete house is beautifully high-maintenance," 7 Sep. 2018 Buildings bare his name, and his studios, living quarters, and exhibition spaces are scattered throughout the streets and nearby fields. — Hannah Zisman, Marie Claire, "Weekend Travel Guide: Where to Stay, Eat and Drink in Marfa, Texas," 24 July 2018 The proposition permits events where marijuana is consumed and sold to only take place at roughly 80 state and municipally owned fairgrounds or agricultural association properties scattered throughout California. — Taylor Mims, Billboard, "Chalice Festival Sues Bureau of Cannabis Control as Weed-Centric Events Battle With Legalization," 13 July 2018 The danger for Trump is the implication of collusion scattered throughout the indictments. — Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, "Mueller’s New Indictment Points to Collusion With Russia," 13 July 2018 Kids still played there occasionally, but there were unattached wooden boards littering the bleachers and random furniture scattered throughout the place. — Kyle Neddenriep, Indianapolis Star, "An Indiana gym gem: Restoration of Pleasantville gym a pleasant surprise," 12 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Dopamine is the chemical that fosters learning and memory, so the novelty of doing something new scatters the chemical throughout your brain. — Denise Foley, Good Housekeeping, "What's Your Emotional Eating Quotient?," 10 Oct. 2012 Before every show, Owen E. Parmele (top), the head of the show’s props department, scatters trash all over the set. — New York Times, "Ravaged but Resilient: Creating ‘Once on This Island’," 27 Apr. 2018 Finally, scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart. — House Beautiful, "Ina Garten's Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts," 28 Aug. 2010 Air on Earth scatters shorter-wavelength light, including most of the blues and greens (which trickle down to us on the planet’s surface), leaving the longer reds to spotlight the moon. — Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian, "The Century’s Longest Lunar Eclipse Will Shroud the Moon This Month," 2 July 2018 This employs long-wavelength light to penetrate into and scatter from biological tissues, building up a three-dimensional picture of that tissue. — The Economist, "The eye's structure holds information about the health of the mind," 28 June 2018 Toss shallots with remaining teaspoon oil and scatter around chicken. — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, "Whatever You Do, Do NOT Tell Ina Garten About Jennifer Garner’s Favorite Soup Hack," 22 May 2018 Generously drizzle with oil and scatter chile over. — Claire Saffitz, Bon Appetit, "Wilted Greens in Tomato-Bacon Broth," 28 May 2018 Toss shallots with remaining teaspoon oil and scatter around chicken. — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, "Whatever You Do, Do NOT Tell Ina Garten About Jennifer Garner’s Favorite Soup Hack," 22 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scatter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.