smat ‧ ter ‧ ing /ˈsmæt ə rɪŋ/ BrE AmE noun [singular]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: smatter 'to splash, talk with little knowledge' (15-19 centuries) ]
1 . a small number or amount of something
smattering of
a smattering of applause
2 . have a smattering of something to have a small amount of knowledge about a subject, especially a foreign language