scatter
The birds scattered when the loud noise startled them.
The birds flew away in different directions after being frightened.
to throw or drop things so that they spread over an area
She scattered seeds in the garden to help the flowers grow.
She spread seeds across the garden soil.
The crowd scattered when the police arrived.
The group dispersed quickly in different directions.
Often implies a lack of order or control over the dispersion.
to move or cause to move in different directions
The wind scattered the papers across the room.
The wind blew the papers in different directions.
The children scattered when the teacher entered the playground.
The children ran away in all directions upon seeing the teacher.
Can describe both voluntary and involuntary movement.
a small, dispersed group or amount
A scatter of leaves covered the ground after the storm.
A small, random distribution of leaves lay on the ground.
Commonly used in phrases like 'a scatter of something' to describe a sparse distribution.
Collocations
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Distinguish from 'spread'
'Scatter' implies a lack of control or randomness, while 'spread' can be intentional (e.g., 'spread butter on toast'). Use 'scatter' for haphazard distribution.
Gold Rule
When to use 'scatter'
Use 'scatter' when describing things moving or being thrown in different directions without order. It’s often sudden or involuntary (e.g., 'The crowd scattered when the alarm rang').
Word Origin
From Middle English 'scateren', from Old Norse 'skata' (to divide, scatter), related to Old English 'sceadan' (to divide). The noun sense emerged in the 16th century.
Usage Notes
Scatter is often used for physical dispersion (seeds, people, objects) but can also describe abstract concepts like attention or focus. Avoid using it for intentional or organized spreading (e.g., 'scatter the news' is less common than 'spread the news').