Standard Lemma guide

scattering

noun · verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈskætəɹɪŋ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S K AE1 T ER0 IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A small quantity of something being dispersed (at random points).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • There will be a scattering of showers, with heavy rain in places.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The total number of votes awarded to nonmajor or unlisted candidates.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: elections

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The process whereby a beam of waves or particles is dispersed by collisions or similar interactions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

present participle and gerund of scatter

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

the act of scattering

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: scatter, strewing

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: spread, spreading

6

noun

Meaning 6

spreading widely or driving off

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dispersion

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: spread, spreading

Narrower terms: Diaspora, dissipation

7

noun

Meaning 7

a light shower that falls in some locations and not others nearby

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sprinkle, sprinkling

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: shower, rain shower

8

noun

Meaning 8

the physical process in which particles are deflected haphazardly as a result of collisions

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: natural process, natural action, action, activity

9

noun

Meaning 9

a small number (of something) dispersed haphazardly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the first scatterings of green
  • a sprinkling of grey at his temples

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sprinkling

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: small indefinite quantity, small indefinite amount

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

28 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • German: Verstreuung — small quantity of something dispersed at random points
  • German: Verstreuen — small quantity of something dispersed at random points
  • German: Aufstreuung — small quantity of something dispersed at random points
  • German: Aufstreuen — small quantity of something dispersed at random points
  • German: Ausstreuung — small quantity of something dispersed at random points
  • German: Ausstreuen — small quantity of something dispersed at random points
  • German: Streuung — small quantity of something dispersed at random points
  • German: Streuen — small quantity of something dispersed at random points
  • German: Streuvorgang — small quantity of something dispersed at random points
  • Ottoman Turkish: صاچمه (saçma) — small quantity of something dispersed at random points
  • Bulgarian: разсейване (razsejvane) — physical process
  • Chinese Mandarin: 散射 (sǎnshè) — physical process
  • Czech: rozptyl — physical process
  • Dutch: verspreiding — physical process
  • Dutch: verstrooiing — physical process
  • Finnish: sironta — physical process
  • French: diffusion — physical process
  • French: éparpillement — physical process
  • Galician: dispersión — physical process
  • German: Streuung — physical process
  • German: Zerstreuung — physical process
  • German: Ausbreitung — physical process
  • German: Streuvorgang — physical process
  • German: Streuprozess — physical process
  • Indonesian: hamburan — physical process
  • Russian: рассеивание (rasseivanije) — physical process
  • Urdu: بکھراو (bikhrāv) — physical process
  • Vietnamese: tán xạ — physical process
Real reading context

scattering in complete knowledge articles