scatter
scatter — verb
1. to go or cause a group to go in many separate ways suddenly, so that the members
to go or cause a group to go in many separate ways suddenly, so that the members are no longer near each other.
Vikram dropped the tray of glasses, and everyone scattered to avoid the broken pieces.
intransitive: people scatter = move apart quickly
A loud bang from the construction site scattered the birds resting on the roof.
transitive: scatter + noun phrase = make something move apart
After the team meeting ended, the members scattered to their different offices around the building.
The lifeguard's whistle scattered the swimmers, who quickly rushed back to the shore.
- disperse
more formal; suggests a planned or controlled breaking apart, whereas scatter is sudden and random
- spread out
phrasal verb; suggests gradual expansion rather than quick movement in all directions
- break up
informal; focuses on a group ceasing to be together
文法句型
scatter + noun phrase (transitive — cause to move apart)
noun phrase + scatter (intransitive — move apart)
用法筆記
Commonly used intransitively without an object, especially for groups of people or animals ('the crowd scattered'). The transitive form requires a direct object that is a group, not a single person or thing.
常見錯誤
2. to place or release several objects onto a surface so that they land separately
to place or release several objects onto a surface so that they land separately at different points, not all together in one spot.
Élise scattered fresh flower petals along the path before the outdoor wedding ceremony.
scatter + noun + along/over/on + surface
The gardener scattered grass seed over the dry patches of the lawn.
Mauricio scattered his shoes and bags across the bedroom floor after a long day.
Small white cottages are scattered along the coast of the Greek island.
文法句型
scatter + noun phrase + over/on/across + noun phrase
用法筆記
Often passive ('be scattered') when describing where things are located across an area. The object describes the things spread out, and a prepositional phrase ('over', 'along', 'across') gives the location.
常見錯誤
scatter — noun
1. the action of throwing or dropping things so that they spread out and cover an a
the action of throwing or dropping things so that they spread out and cover an area, rather than staying in one pile.
The scatter of the seeds was done by hand before the invention of seed drills.
the scatter of + noun = the action of spreading
The sudden scatter of the pigeons startled the tourists sitting in the square.
The careful scatter of the wildflower seeds required a gentle touch and a steady hand.
Cyrus watched the scatter of dry leaves when the autumn wind blew across the yard.
- dispersal
formal; used for groups of people or living things moving apart
文法句型
the scatter of + noun
用法筆記
Typically appears in the fixed pattern 'the scatter of + noun' to describe the process. More commonly replaced by 'scattering' in everyday speech ('the scattering of seeds').
2. a small number of things or people that are spread out over an area rather than
a small number of things or people that are spread out over an area rather than gathered close together.
There was a scatter of old stone houses at the edge of the mountain village.
a scatter of + noun = a small, spread-out number
A scatter of applause came from the back of the hall after the pianist finished.
Only a scatter of students attended the early morning chemistry class on Friday.
A scatter of fishing boats appeared on the horizon at sunrise.
- handful
focuses on small quantity rather than spread-out pattern
- sprinkling
suggests a light, thin distribution, similar to scatter
文法句型
a scatter of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Always appears with the indefinite article 'a' followed by 'of' — 'a scatter of + plural noun'. This sense describes the distribution pattern, not a precise quantity.
3. the condition of being spread out over a wide area rather than gathered together
the condition of being spread out over a wide area rather than gathered together in one place.
The scatter of the island's villages made it expensive to build roads between them.
the scatter of + plural noun = condition of being spread out
The scatter of metal pieces across the field after the explosion slowed the search.
The scatter of refugee camps across the border region created problems for aid workers.
Naoko was surprised by the scatter of her relatives across five different countries.
- dispersion
formal term from science; describes how spread out things are
- distribution
neutral; focuses on arrangement across an area
- concentration
the state of being gathered densely in one place
- clustering
the state of forming tight groups
文法句型
the scatter of + plural noun
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (ACT OF SCATTERING): this sense describes the result or condition after scattering has happened, not the action itself. Distinguish from sense 2 (SMALL AMOUNT): this sense focuses on the wide distribution pattern rather than the number of items.