scatter
To (cause to) separate and go in different directions; to disperse.
Example
“The crowd scattered in terror.”
Other meanings
To distribute loosely as by sprinkling.
“Her ashes were scattered at the top of a waterfall.”
To deflect (radiation or particles).
Synonyms
- disperse
- break up
Related words
- scatter cushion
- scatter-plot
- scatteringly
- scatterbrain
- scattergun
- scatterplot
- scatter diagram
- scattershot
- antiscatter
- bescatter
- rescatter
- scatterable
Word history
From Middle English "scateren".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “scatter” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.