I. ˈskad.ə(r), -atə- verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English scateren
transitive verb
1. archaic : to fling away heedlessly : squander
2.
a. : to cause (a group or collection) to separate into various widely removed parts
approaching cars that scattered the players to both sides of the street
a gust that scattered the pile of leaves in all directions
heirs who scattered his library of Colonial history by selling the books when they needed money
b. : to cause (as a mist) to vanish as if by scattering
combating prejudice and scattering the clouds of ignorance — Julius May
3. : to place (as buildings) here and there : distribute at irregular and widely separate intervals
scatter defense factories instead of concentrating them in a single area easily obliterated by one bombing
a child who scatters his toys all over the house
4.
a. : to spread widely and at random by or as if by throwing : sow , broadcast
plant the seed in rows or scatter it over the plot
: disseminate
scatter tracts from train windows — Roger Pippett
the editors fled … scattering flames of discontent along the way — R.A.Billington
: diffuse
the writers have scattered sentiment and glamor over the story with a lavish hand — Irish Digest
b.
(1) : to overspread haphazardly with something : sprinkle
a battle that scattered the field with dead and wounded
scattered the pages of her book with famous names
(2) : to spread at random over : bestrew
small floating shapes of paper … scattering the water like a countless flock of inch-long ducks — William Sansom
5.
a. : to reflect irregularly and diffusely (as from a piece of ground glass)
b. : to diffuse or disperse (a beam of radiation) in a random manner as a result of collision of the particles, photons, or waves with particles of the medium traversed
6. : to divide into ineffectually small portions : make ineffectual by excessive division
was cautious about scattering his strength and frequently had to curb the ambitions of his sons to go into other lines of business — Frank Kent
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to separate and go in various directions
a flock of pigeons feeding that scattered when a dog approached
b. : to vanish as if by scattering
clouds scatter after a storm
2. : to occur or fall at irregular widely separated intervals : spread at random over a surface or through a space or substance
that fine chain of lakes which scatter up and down the center of Florida, like bright beads — Marjory S. Douglas
3. : to cause something to scatter ; especially : to cause the shot of a shotgun to spread widely when fired
Synonyms:
scatter , disperse , dissipate , and dispel can mean in common to cause a group or mass to separate or break up. scatter may imply a force which drives, usually rapidly, in different directions or may imply only throwing so that the units spread out and fall at random
scatter a mob with tear gas bombs
scatter seed over a lawn
the brief yarns scattered so profusely through his first novel — Dayton Kohler
the serious composer must, through necessity, scatter his energy and diffuse his efforts by spending innumerable hours in teaching — David Ewen
a shower of dried mud was scattered over her clothes — Ellen Glasgow
disperse usually implies a wider separation and a complete breaking up of a mass or group
the clouds dispersed, driven into fragments by the wind
the bureau was dismembered, its staff dispersed — V.G.Heiser
when his simple meal was finished, the Webster family dispersed to entertain itself — Robertson Davies
the nature of their employment and adjustment tended to disperse the refugees through the whole nation — Oscar Handlin
dissipate stresses the idea of complete disintegration or dissolution, as by evaporation or squandering, and a consequent vanishing
from the far-off wooded hills the haze … had not yet dissipated — D.H.Lawrence
this hysteria can be dissipated — Kenneth Leslie
other freedoms will be dissipated along with that of the press — Hal O'Flaherty
dispel stresses the driving away by or as if by scattering, stressing very little the idea of separation of parts
dispel all remnants of your influenza — G.B.Shaw
dispel the notion that social life is a peculiarity of the higher organisms — A.N.Whitehead
truth and frankness dispel difficulties — Bertrand Russell
had not dispelled her apprehension and her distrust — Jean Stafford
Synonym: see in addition strew .
II. noun
( -s )
1. : the act or process of scattering
2. : a small supply or number scattered, irregularly distributed, or carelessly strewn about
there was a scatter of rain on the windows — Dorothy Whipple
a scatter of applause
3. : the state or extent of being scattered ; specifically : the dispersion of observations in a frequency distribution measured by the coefficient of variation
4. : scattering 2b
III. adjective
Etymology: scatter (I) & scatter (II)
1. : of, characterized by, or effecting scatter
scatter analysis
scatter dose
scatter arm
2. : adapted to being placed here and there
IV. noun
( -s )
Etymology: origin unknown
1. slang : saloon
2. slang : hangout , joint
V. noun
Usage: often attributive
: television advertising time sold after the broadcast season has begun — called also scatter time