Scatter

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: scat=ter

CIDE DICTIONARY

Scatter, v. t. [OE. scateren. See Shatter.].

•  To strew about; to sprinkle around; to throw down loosely; to deposit or place here and there, esp. in an open or sparse order.  [1913 Webster]

  "And some are scattered all the floor about."  [1913 Webster]

  "Why should my muse enlarge on Libyan swains,
  Their scattered cottages, and ample plains?"  [1913 Webster]

  "Teach the glad hours to scatter, as they fly,
  Soft quiet, gentle love, and endless joy."  [1913 Webster]
•  To cause to separate in different directions; to reduce from a close or compact to a loose or broken order; to dissipate; to disperse.  [1913 Webster]

  "Scatter and disperse the giddy Goths."  [1913 Webster]
•  Hence, to frustrate, disappoint, and overthrow; as, to scatter hopes, plans, or the like.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To disperse; dissipate; spread; strew.

Scatter, v. i. 

 To be dispersed or dissipated; to disperse or separate; as, clouds scatter after a storm.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Scatter, v. & n.
--v.
1 tr. a throw here and there; strew (scattered gravel on the road). b cover by scattering (scattered the road with gravel).
2 tr. & intr. a move or cause to move in flight etc.; disperse (scattered to safety at the sound). b disperse or cause (hopes, clouds, etc.) to disperse.
3 tr. (as scattered adj.) not clustered together; wide apart; sporadic (scattered villages).
4 tr. Physics deflect or diffuse (light, particles, etc.).
5 a intr. (of esp. a shotgun) fire a charge of shot diffusely. b tr. fire (a charge) in this way.
--n.
1 the act or an instance of scattering.
2 a small amount scattered.
3 the extent of distribution of esp. shot.

Idiom

scatter cushions (or rugs, etc.) cushions, rugs, etc., placed here and there for effect. scatter-shot n. & adj. US firing at random.

Derivative

scatterer n.

Etymology

ME, prob. var. of SHATTER

THESAURUS

Scatter

atomize, bend, besprinkle, bestrew, bias, blow, break into pieces, break to pieces, break up, broadcast, cast, circulate, circumfuse, clutter, confound, crash, crook, crunch, crush, curve, cut to pieces, deactivate, deal out, debrief, deflect, deflection, deflexure, demob, demobilize, demolish, derange, detach, deviate, diffract, diffraction, diffuse, diffusion, disarrange, disarray, disband, discard, discharge, discomfit, dishevel, disintegrate, disjoin, dislocate, dismiss, disorder, disorganize, dispel, dispense, disperse, dispersion, dispread, disrupt, disseminate, dissipate, dissolve, distort, distortion, distribute, diverge, divert, divide, dogleg, ease, ease off, emanate, fan out, fission, flection, flexure, fragment, free, gamble away, go off, go separate ways, go through, grind, hairpin, hang the expense, issue, lavish, let go, let up, litter, loose, loosen, make mincemeat of, mess, mess up, mince, misarrange, muss, muss up, muster out, overscatter, oversow, overspread, panic, part, part company, propagate, publish, pull, pulverize, put to flight, put to rout, radiate, ray, refract, refraction, relax, release, retail, rout, ruffle, rumple, run through, seize the day, separate, sever, shatter, shed, shiver, shower, skew, skewness, slack, slack off, slacken, slather, smash, smash up, sow, sow broadcast, splay, splinter, split up, spread, spread out, sprinkle, squander, squash, squish, stampede, straw, strew, throw away, throw money around, torsion, tousle, turn, twist, unglue, unleash, unstick, utter, warp, zigzag

ROGET THESAURUS

Scatter

Derangement

VB derange, disarrange, misarrange, displace, misplace, mislay, discompose, disorder, deorganize, discombobulate, disorganize, embroil, unsettle, disturb, confuse, trouble, perturb, jumble, tumble, shuffle, randomize, huddle, muddle, toss, hustle, fumble, riot, bring into disorder, put into disorder, throw into disorder, muss, break the ranks, disconcert, convulse, break in upon, unhinge, dislocate, put out of joint, throw out of gear, turn topsy-turvy, bedevil, complicate, involve, perplex, confound, imbrangle, embrangle, tangle, entangle, ravel, tousle, towzle, dishevel, ruffle, rumple, litter, scatter, mix, rearrange.

Dispersion

VB disperse, scatter, sow, broadcast, disseminate, diffuse, shed, spread, bestrew, overspread, dispense, disband, disembody, dismember, distribute, apportion, blow off, let out, dispel, cast forth, draught off, strew, straw, strow, ted, spirtle, cast, sprinkle, issue, deal out, retail, utter, resperse, intersperse, set abroach, circumfuse, turn adrift, cast adrift, scatter to the winds, spread like wildfire, disperse themselves.

Curvature

VB be curved curve, sweep, sway, swag, sag, deviate, curl, turn, reenter, render curved, flex, bend, curve, incurvate, inflect, deflect, scatter, refract (light), crook, turn, round, arch, arcuate, arch over, concamerate, bow, curl, recurve, frizzle, rotundity, convexity.

Divergence

VB diverge, divaricate, radiate, ramify, branch off, glance off, file off, fly off, fly off at a tangent, spread, scatter, disperse, deviate, part.