scattered
散佈 散射
Scat·ter v. t. [imp. & p. p. Scattered p. pr. & vb. n. Scattering.]
1. To strew about; to sprinkle around; to throw down loosely; to deposit or place here and there, esp. in an open or sparse order.
And some are scattered all the floor about. --Chaucer.
Why should my muse enlarge on Libyan swains,
Their scattered cottages, and ample plains? --Dryden.
Teach the glad hours to scatter, as they fly,
Soft quiet, gentle love, and endless joy. --Prior.
2. To cause to separate in different directions; to reduce from a close or compact to a loose or broken order; to dissipate; to disperse.
Scatter and disperse the giddy Goths. --Shak.
3. Hence, to frustrate, disappoint, and overthrow; as, to scatter hopes, plans, or the like.
Syn: -- To disperse; dissipate; spread; strew.
Scat·tered a.
1. Dispersed; dissipated; sprinkled, or loosely spread.
2. Bot. Irregular in position; having no regular order; as, scattered leaves.
-- Scat*tered*ly, adv. -- Scat*tered*ness, n.
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scattered
adj 1: occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular
intervals in time or space; "scattered showers";
"scattered villages"
2: not close together in time; "isolated instances of
rebellion"; "scattered fire"; "a stray bullet grazed his
thigh" [syn: isolated, stray]
3: being distributed here and there without order; "scattered
leaves littered the sidewalk"; "don't forget to pick up
the clothes lying strewn all over the floor" [syn: strewn]
4: lacking orderly continuity; "a confused set of
instructions"; "a confused dream about the end of the
world"; "disconnected fragments of a story"; "scattered
thoughts" [syn: confused, disconnected, disjointed,
disordered, garbled, illogical, unconnected]