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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

scatter en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • skătʹər (General-American)
  • /ˈskætə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈskæhɚ/ Dublin
  • /ˈskætɚ/ (General-American)
  • /ˈskæʔɐ/ Dublin
  • (US) audio
  • /ˈskæʔɚ/ Dublin
  • /ˈskæt̞ɚ/ (Ireland)
  • /ˈskæhɐ/ Dublin

Etymology

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.

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) The act of scattering or dispersing.
  2. (countable, uncountable) A collection of dispersed objects.
    • The plot of all our sea-level index points shows a scatter of data points that do not overlap […] 2015, Ian Shennan, Antony J. Long, Benjamin P. Horton, Handbook of Sea-Level Research, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 19:
    • A broad scatter of kurgan graves in the steppes contained imported Tripolye C2 pots (among other imported pot types) and a few, like Serezlievka, also contained Tripolye-like schematic rod-headed figurines. 2007, David W. Anthony, The Horse, the Wheel, and Language, Princeton: Princeton University Press, page 498:
    • The Los Angeles Basin evolved as a mobility surface principally through the combination of an initial system of electric railways connecting a scatter of agricultural settlement settlements. 2006, Theano S. Terkenli, Anne-Marie d'Hauteserre, Landscapes of a New Cultural Economy of Space, Springer Science & Business Media, →ISBN, page 84:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
scatters Number=Plur lexicographic

scatter en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • skătʹər (General-American)
  • /ˈskætə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈskæhɚ/ Dublin
  • /ˈskætɚ/ (General-American)
  • /ˈskæʔɐ/ Dublin
  • (US) audio
  • /ˈskæʔɚ/ Dublin
  • /ˈskæt̞ɚ/ (Ireland)
  • /ˈskæhɐ/ Dublin

Etymology

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.

Meanings

  1. (ergative) To (cause to) separate and go in different directions; to disperse.
    • Scatter and disperse the giddy Goths. c. 1588–1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:
    • The crowd scattered in terror.
  2. (transitive) To distribute loosely as by sprinkling.
    • Why should my muse enlarge on Libyan swains, / Their scattered cottages, and ample plains? 1697, Virgil, “The Third Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
    • Her ashes were scattered at the top of a waterfall.
  3. (transitive) To deflect (radiation or particles).
    • Chasca's ring is unique. It appears to be, for lack of a better term, a massive piece of alien "installation art." The rings are made of small pieces of synthetic material, and are almost invisible from space. From the ground, they catch and scatter the light of Matano in picturesque ways. It is not known who created the ring or when. 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Chasca planetary description:
  4. (intransitive) To occur or fall at widely spaced intervals.
  5. (transitive) To frustrate, disappoint, and overthrow.
    • to scatter hopes or plans
  6. (transitive) To be dispersed upon.
    • Desiccated stalks scattered the fields.
    • […] its beauty is obscured by the environmental waste and loose trash that scatter the countryside. 2016, J. D. Vance, Hillbilly Elegy, page 21:
  7. (transitive) Of a pitcher: to spread out a high number of hits or walks between innings so as not to give up a high number of runs
  8. (US, slang) To leave.
    • When the police showed up, I scattered.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
scatters Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
scattered Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
scattered Tense=Past lexicographic
scattering Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Deriveds

scatterbrained · scatter buffet · bescatter · tropospheric scatter · scatter diagram · scatteration · scatterhoard · upscatter · scatterplot · scattersome · scatterling · scatter point · scatter rug · scatterometry · scattergood · scatterable · rescatter · scattershot · scatter-story · scatter site · scatterer · scatterbrain · scatter hoarding · scattergun · scatter band · scatteringly · scatter cushion · scatter-plot · scatter to the four winds · squander · scattery · antiscatter · scattergram · scattergraph · scatter-brained · scatterometric · scatterometer

Translations (141)

cs rozesít (physics: to deflect) · ru развеять (to disperse) · kk шашу (to disperse) · tr serpiştirmek (to distribute loosely) · sv sprida (to occur at intervals) · pt dispersar (to cause to separate) · sv skingra sig (to disperse) · cs roztrousit (to distribute loosely) · ka მიმობნევა (to distribute loosely) · bg разсейвам (physics: to deflect) · sv skingra (to cause to separate) · ja 散らばる (to disperse) · fi sirotella (to distribute loosely) · es dispersar (physics: to deflect) · fr disperser (to cause to separate) · sh razasuti (to disperse) · ka განცალკევება (to cause to separate) · tr savurmak (to distribute loosely) · mi whakaehu (to disperse) · ja 散乱する (physics: to deflect) · bg разсейвам (to disperse) · mi tītari (to disperse) · ja 散布する (to distribute loosely) · sh rasuti (to cause to separate) · no strø (to distribute loosely) · mi whakamarara (to cause to separate) · zza sanen (to distribute loosely) · txb käsk- (to cause to separate) · ota صاچمق (to distribute loosely) · sv strö ut (to cause to separate) · fa پراکندن (to cause to separate) · ko 흩다 (to cause to separate) · es dispersarse (to disperse) · ga croith (to distribute loosely) · cs rozházet (to cause to separate) · nl verstrooien (to distribute loosely) · nl uiteengaan (to disperse) · ja 蒔く (to distribute loosely) · ru разброса́ть (to distribute loosely) · hi छितरना (to disperse) · mn тараах (to cause to separate) · ja 播く (to distribute loosely) · cs rozptýlit (to disperse) · it disperdersi (to disperse) · ru разбра́сывать (to distribute loosely) · mi tītaritari (to disperse) · got 𐌳𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌷𐌾𐌰𐌽 (to disperse) · sv beströ (to distribute loosely) · sa स्तृणोति (to distribute loosely) · pt espalhar (to disperse) · it cospargere (to distribute loosely) · nl verspreiden (to cause to separate) · ka გაფანტვა (to distribute loosely) · ar نَثَرَ (to cause to separate) · mi tītaritari (to distribute loosely) · sh rasuti (to disperse) · fi sirottaa (physics: to deflect) · ko 뿌리다 (to cause to separate) · ru разбры́згивать (to distribute loosely) · sv sprida (physics: to deflect) · sh raspršiti (to cause to separate) · mi tītari (to distribute loosely) · ja 散る (to disperse) · ja 散らかす (to cause to separate) · otk 𐰽𐰲 (to distribute loosely) · nb spre (physics: to deflect) · ar تَفَرَّقَ (to cause to separate) · it deflettere (physics: to deflect) · mi whakamarara (to disperse) · ru разбры́згать (to distribute loosely) · es regar (to distribute loosely) · zza raken (to distribute loosely) · tr saçmak (to distribute loosely) · sv skingras (to disperse) · mi kaihora (to distribute loosely) · zza roken (physics: to deflect) · ga scaip (to disperse) · mn цацах (to disperse) · nn spreie (physics: to deflect) · chr ᎠᏗᎦᎴᏯᎠ (to cause to separate) · eo disĵeti (to distribute loosely) · it sparpagliare (to distribute loosely) · la spargō (to cause to separate) · nl verspreiden (to distribute loosely) · cmn 散射 (physics: to deflect) · cmn 散佈 /散布 (to cause to separate) · nb spre (to cause to separate) · gag saçmaa (to cause to separate) · bho छितरावल (to disperse) · pt espalhar (to cause to separate) · de verstreuen (to distribute loosely) · de streuen (to distribute loosely) · sv strö (to cause to separate) · ru рассе́ивать (physics: to deflect) · te చెదురు (to disperse) · de streuen (physics: to deflect) · sv sprida (to cause to separate) · la dissipō (to disperse) · pt espalhar (to distribute loosely) · bg разпръсквам (to cause to separate) · ru разброса́ть (to cause to separate) · ja 撒く (to distribute loosely) · fr éparpiller (to distribute loosely) · de ausstreuen (to distribute loosely) · de zerstreuen (to cause to separate) · fr se disperser (to disperse) · ru разбра́сывать (to cause to separate) · tr serpmek (to distribute loosely) · ru рассе́ять (physics: to deflect) · nb spre (to disperse) · it disperdere (to cause to separate) · fr parsemer (to distribute loosely) · crh cayratmaq (to distribute loosely) · mi rauroha (to disperse) · tr dağılmak (to cause to separate) · ga easraigh (to distribute loosely) · tr yaymak (to cause to separate) · sh razasuti (to cause to separate) · zza vıla biyen (to cause to separate) · de zerstreuen (to disperse) · ja 散らす (to cause to separate) · sa स्तृनाति (to distribute loosely) · nl uiteenspatten (to disperse) · grc σκεδάννυμι (to cause to separate) · te చెదురు (to cause to separate) · sh raspršiti (to disperse) · got 𐌳𐌹𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌷𐌾𐌰𐌽 (to cause to separate) · es esparcir (to distribute loosely) · nl verstrooien (physics: to deflect) · gd fras (to distribute loosely) · ko 흩어지다 (to disperse) · fi sirota (to disperse) · gd breac (to distribute loosely) · it dilazionarsi (to occur at intervals) · nn spreie (to disperse) · ka ჩამოშორება (to cause to separate) · nl verstrooien (to cause to separate) · nn spreie (to cause to separate) · mi whakamarara (to distribute loosely) · fi sirottaa (to cause to separate) · kk шашырату (to disperse)