scatter
scatter — 動詞
1. to go or cause a group to go in many separate ways suddenly, so that the members
分散；散開
使群體向不同方向散開
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.
Vikram 打翻了那盤玻璃杯，大家趕緊四散開來，避開碎片。
intransitive: people scatter = move apart quickly
A loud bang from the construction site scattered the birds resting on the roof.
工地傳來一聲巨響，把在屋頂上休息的鳥群嚇散了。
transitive: scatter + noun phrase = make something move apart
After the team meeting ended, the members scattered to their different offices around the building.
小組會議結束後，成員們各自回到大樓裡不同的辦公室。
The lifeguard's whistle scattered the swimmers, who quickly rushed back to the shore.
救生員吹了哨子，游泳的人們四散開來，急忙游回岸邊。
- 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
撒；散佈
將東西撒在表面上
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.
Élise 在戶外婚禮前，將新鮮的花瓣沿著走道撒了一路。
scatter + noun + along/over/on + surface
The gardener scattered grass seed over the dry patches of the lawn.
園丁將草籽撒在草坪上那些光禿禿的地方。
Mauricio scattered his shoes and bags across the bedroom floor after a long day.
Mauricio 回到家後，把鞋子和包包扔得臥室地上到處都是。
Small white cottages are scattered along the coast of the Greek island.
希臘小島的海岸沿線散落著許多白色小屋。
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 — 名詞
1. the action of throwing or dropping things so that they spread out and cover an a
撒播
將東西撒開的動作
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.
在播種機發明以前，種子的撒播全靠人工。
the scatter of + noun = the action of spreading
The sudden scatter of the pigeons startled the tourists sitting in the square.
鴿子突然一哄而散，把廣場上的遊客嚇了一跳。
The careful scatter of the wildflower seeds required a gentle touch and a steady hand.
小心地撒播野花種子需要輕柔的動作和穩定的雙手。
Cyrus watched the scatter of dry leaves when the autumn wind blew across the yard.
Cyrus 看著秋風吹過院子，枯葉四散飛落。
- 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
零星分佈
零散分佈的一小群
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.
山村的邊緣零星散落著幾間石頭老屋。
a scatter of + noun = a small, spread-out number
A scatter of applause came from the back of the hall after the pianist finished.
鋼琴家演奏完後，廳裡後方傳來零星的掌聲。
Only a scatter of students attended the early morning chemistry class on Friday.
週五早上只有零零星星幾個學生來上化學課。
A scatter of fishing boats appeared on the horizon at sunrise.
日出時，海平面上出現了零星幾艘漁船。
- 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
分散狀態
廣泛分佈而非集中的狀態
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.
島上的村落分佈得很散，使得在它們之間修路花費高昂。
the scatter of + plural noun = condition of being spread out
The scatter of metal pieces across the field after the explosion slowed the search.
爆炸後金屬碎片散落在田野各處，使得搜索進展緩慢。
The scatter of refugee camps across the border region created problems for aid workers.
難民營散落在邊境地區各處，為救援人員帶來了許多問題。
Naoko was surprised by the scatter of her relatives across five different countries.
Naoko 發現親戚們分散在五個不同的國家，感到非常驚訝。
- 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.