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

Other Words from scatter Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about scatter

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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

Arrange on a platter with the dressing drizzled over the top or layered underneath, then scatter the onion over the top. — Ashley Rodriguez, Woman's Day, "Tomato and Onion Salad with Avocado Ranch Dressing," 10 Apr. 2019 Made of 250,000 different steel elements bolted together in curving sections and covered in glass fiber–reinforced concrete, the building sprawls like scattered, overlapping petals at the edge of the Persian Gulf. — Julie Lasky, ELLE Decor, "ED First Look: The National Museum of Qatar," 26 Mar. 2019 These are scattered across the country in small museums and private libraries, many of which appear to have been destroyed or looted. — Christian C. Sahner, WSJ, "Yemen’s Threatened Cultural Heritage," 25 Dec. 2018 An investigation continued Saturday at the mountainside crash site, where debris of the helicopter was scattered and trees torn down apparently from the impact of the fall. — Fox News, "All 9 aboard rescue chopper crashed in Japan confirmed dead," 11 Aug. 2018 Soot is not very reflective, so the background infrared radiation is not scattered by the soot. — Chris Lee, Ars Technica, "Salt-infused graphene creates an infrared cloaking device," 3 Aug. 2018 The floors are worn, the tabletops covered in dust, and unfinished pots are scattered around. — Danielle Tullo, House Beautiful, "The World Spins A Little Faster For Jonathan Adler," 26 July 2018 From the outside, Hadwen Park exudes the feel of those sturdy, unpretentious churches from an older time that are scattered throughout New England. — Brian Macquarrie, BostonGlobe.com, "In Worcester, a safe haven for gay immigrants," 25 June 2018 Vera Kelly introduces herself to us in flashbacks about growing up that are scattered within a spy story. — Maureen Corrigan, chicagotribune.com, "Forget about 007. This heroine has her own brand of spycraft.," 21 June 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.