scatter

CEFRB2

/ˈskætə/

verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To throw or spread things over a wide area.

  2. 02

    verb

    To move away in different directions.

Examples

  • Scatter a little flour on the work surface.

  • Don't scatter your things about.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5

Also pronounced

  • /ˈskæhɐ/
  • /ˈskæʔɐ/

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. To deflect (radiation or particles).

  2. To distribute loosely as by sprinkling.

  3. To (cause to) separate and go in different directions; to disperse.

More examples

In context

  • Where did you scatter them?

  • Her ashes were scattered at the top of a waterfall.

  • The crowd scattered in terror.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

When the strong wind blew, the leaves began to blank across the yard.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

From Middle English scateren, skateren, also schateren, * probably a variant of shatter, which is imitative; * or from Old English *sceaterian, probably akin to a dialect of Old Norse, possibly ultimately related to Proto-Indo-European *skey- (“to cut, split, shatter”). Compare Middle Dutch scheteren (“to scatter”), Low German schateren, Dutch schateren (“to burst out laughing”); and is apparently remotely akin to Ancient Greek σκεδάννυμι (skedánnumi, “scatter, disperse”). and Tocharian B kät- (“to scatter, sow seeds”). Doublet of shatter.