The Wordsmith Dictionary

Scathe, Scath, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Scathed; p. pr. & vb. n.Scathing. ] Etym: [Icel. skatha; akin to AS. sceathan, sceth \'eban, Dan. skade, Sw. skada, D. & G. schaden, OHG. scadon, Goth. skaÞjan.]

Defn: To do harm to; to injure; to damage; to waste; to destroy. As when heaven's fire Hath scathed the forest oaks or mountain pines. Milton. Strokes of calamity that scathe and scorch the soul. W. Irwing.

SCATHFUL

SCATHFUL Scath "ful, a.

Defn: Harmful; doing damage; pernicious. Shak. -- Scath "ful *ness, n.

SCATHLESS

SCATHLESS Scath "less, a.

Defn: Unharmed. R. L. Stevenson. He, too, ... is to be dismissed scathless. Sir W. Scott.

SCATHLY

SCATHLY Scath "ly, a.

Defn: Injurious; scathful. [Obs. ]

SCATTER

Scat "ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Scattered; p. pr. & vb. n. Scattering. ]Etym: [OE. scateren. See Shatter. ]

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.

SCATTER

SCATTER Scat "ter, v. i.

Defn: To be dispersed or dissipated; to disperse or separate; as, clouds scatter after a storm.

SCATTER-BRAIN

SCATTER-BRAIN Scat "ter-brain `, n.

Defn: A giddy or thoughtless person; one incapable of concentration or attention. [Written also scatter-brains.]

SCATTER-BRAINED

SCATTER-BRAINED Scat "ter-brained `, a.

Defn: Giddy; thoughtless.

SCATTERED

SCATTERED Scat "tered, a.

1. Dispersed; dissipated; sprinkled, or loosely spread.

2. (Bot. )

Defn: Irregular in position; having no regular order; as, scattered leaves. -- Scat "tered *ly, adv. -- Scat "tered *ness, n.

SCATTERGOOD

SCATTERGOOD Scat "ter *good `, n.

Defn: One who wastes; a spendthrift.

SCATTERING

SCATTERING Scat "ter *ing, a.

Defn: Going or falling in various directions; not united or agregated; divided among many; as, scattering votes.

SCATTERING

SCATTERING Scat "ter *ing, n.

Defn: Act of strewing about; something scattered. South.

SCATTERINGLY

SCATTERINGLY Scat "ter *ing *ly, adv.

Defn: In a scattering manner; dispersedly.

SCATTERLING

Scat "ter *ling, n. Etym: [Scatter + -ling. ]

Defn: One who has no fixed habitation or residence; a vagabond. [Obs. ] "Foreign scatterlings." Spenser.

SCATURIENT

SCATURIENT Sca *tu "ri *ent, a.Etym: [L. scaturiens, p.pr. of scaturire gush out, from scatere to bubble, gush. ]

Defn: Gushing forth; full to overflowing; effusive. [R.] A pen so scaturient and unretentive. Sir W. Scott.

SCATURIGINOUS

Scat `u *rig "i *nous, a. Etym: [L. skaturiginosus, fr. scaturigo gushing water. See Scaturient. ]

Defn: Abounding with springs. [Obs. ]

New American Oxford Dictionary

scat

scat 1 |skat skæt | ▶verb ( scats, scatting, scatted ) [ no obj. ] informal go away; leave: Scat! Leave me alone. ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: perhaps an abbreviation of scatter, or perhaps from the sound of a hiss (used to drive an animal away ) + -cat .

scat

scat 2 |skæt skat |(also scat singing ) ▶noun improvised jazz singing in which the voice is used in imitation of an instrument. ▶verb ( scats, scatting, scatted ) [ no obj. ] sing in such a way. ORIGIN 1920s: probably imitative.

scat

scat 3 |skæt skat | ▶noun droppings, esp. those of carnivorous mammals. ORIGIN 1950s: from Greek skōr, skat- ‘dung ’; compare with scatology .

scat

scat 4 |skat | ▶noun a small deep-bodied silvery fish that lives in inshore and estuarine waters of the Indo-Pacific. ●Family Scatophagidae: several genera and species. See also argus ( sense 3 ). ORIGIN 1960s: abbreviation of modern Latin Scatophagidae, from Greek skatophagos ‘dung-eating ’ (because the fish is often found beside sewage outlets ).

Scatchard plot

Scatchard plot |ˈskatʃɑːd | ▶noun Biochemistry a plot of the concentration of a solute absorbed by a protein, membrane, cell, etc. , against its concentration in the surrounding medium. ORIGIN 1940s: named after George Scatchard (1892 –1973 ), American physical chemist.

scathe

scathe |skāT͟H skeɪð | archaic ▶verb [ with obj. ] (usu. be scathed ) harm; injure: he was barely scathed. • literary damage or destroy by fire or lightning. ▶noun harm; injury. ORIGIN Middle English: from Old Norse skathi (noun ), skatha (verb ); related to Dutch and German schaden (verb ).

scathing

scath ing |ˈskāT͟HiNG ˈskeɪðɪŋ | ▶adjective witheringly scornful; severely critical: she launched a scathing attack on the governor. DERIVATIVES scath ing ly adverb

scatology

sca tol o gy |skəˈtäləjē skəˈtɑləʤi | ▶noun an interest in or preoccupation with excrement and excretion. • obscene literature that is concerned with excrement and excretion. DERIVATIVES scat o log i cal |ˈskatlˈäjikəl |adjective ORIGIN late 19th cent.: from Greek skōr, skat- ‘dung ’ + -logy. Compare with scat 3 .

scatophagous

scatophagous |skaˈtɒfəgəs | ▶adjective Zoology (of an insect or other animal ) feeding on dung; coprophagous. ORIGIN late 19th cent.: from modern Latin scatophagus (from Greek skatophagos ‘dung-eating ’) + -ous .

scatter

scat ter |ˈskatər ˈskædər | ▶verb [ with obj. ] throw in various random directions: scatter the coconut over the icing | his family is hoping to scatter his ashes at sea. • (be scattered ) [ usu. with adverbial ] occur or be found at intervals rather than all together: there are many mills scattered throughout the marshlands | (as adj. scattered ) : a scattered mountain community. • (of a group of people or animals ) separate and move off quickly in different directions: the roar made the dogs scatter. • cause (a group or people or animals ) to act in such a way: he charged across the foyer, scattering people. • (usu. be scattered with ) cover (a surface ) with objects thrown or spread randomly over it: sandy beaches scattered with driftwood. • Physics deflect or diffuse (electromagnetic radiation or particles ). ▶noun a small, dispersed amount of something: a scatter of houses on the north shore. • Statistics the degree to which repeated measurements or observations of a quantity differ. • Physics the scattering of light, other electromagnetic radiation, or particles. DERIVATIVES scat ter a ble adjective, scat ter a tion |ˌskatəˈrāSHən |noun, scat ter er noun ORIGIN Middle English (as a verb ): probably a variant of shatter .

scatterbrain

scat ter brain |ˈskatərˌbrān ˈskædərˌbreɪn | ▶noun a person who tends to be disorganized and lacking in concentration.

scatterbrained

scat ter brained |ˈskatərˌbrānd | ▶adjective (of a person ) disorganized and lacking in concentration.

scatter cushion

scat |ter cush |ion ▶noun a small cushion designed to be placed randomly so as to create a casual effect and to be moved as required.

scatter diagram

scat ter di a gram |ˈskætərɡræm | ▶noun Statistics a graph in which the values of two variables are plotted along two axes, the pattern of the resulting points revealing any correlation present.

scattergram

scat ter gram |ˈskatərˌgram ˈskædərɡræm |(also scattergraph ) ▶noun another term for scatter diagram.

scattergun

scat ter gun |ˈskatərˌgən ˈskædərˌɡən | ▶noun a shotgun. ▶adjective another term for scattershot.

scattering

scat ter ing |ˈskatəriNG ˈskæd (ə )rɪŋ | ▶noun [ in sing. ] an act of scattering something. • a small, dispersed amount of something: the scattering of freckles across her cheeks and forehead. • Physics the process in which electromagnetic radiation or particles are deflected or diffused.

scattering angle

scat ter ing an gle ▶noun Physics the angle through which a scattered particle or beam is deflected.

scatterplot

scat ter plot |ˈskatərˌplät ˈskædərplɑt |(also scatter plot ) ▶noun another term for scatter diagram.

scatter rug

scat ter rug ▶noun another term for throw rug.

scattershot

scat ter shot |ˈskatərˌSHät ˈskædərˌʃɑt | ▶adjective denoting something that is broad but random and haphazard in its range: a scattershot collection of stories.

scatty

scat ty |ˈskatē ˈskædi | ▶adjective ( scattier, scattiest ) informal absentminded and disorganized. DERIVATIVES scat ti ly |-əlē |adverb, scat ti ness noun ORIGIN early 20th cent.: abbreviation of scatterbrained .

Oxford Dictionary

scat

scat 1 |skat | ▶verb ( scats, scatting, scatted ) [ no obj., usu. in imperative ] informal go away; leave: Scat! Leave me alone. ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: perhaps an abbreviation of scatter, or perhaps from the sound of a hiss (used to drive an animal away ) + -cat .

scat

scat 2 |skat | ▶noun (also scat singing ) [ mass noun ] improvised jazz singing in which the voice is used in imitation of an instrument. ▶verb ( scats, scatting, scatted ) [ no obj. ] sing using the voice in imitation of an instrument. ORIGIN 1920s: probably imitative.

scat

scat 3 |skat | ▶noun [ mass noun ] droppings, especially those of carnivorous mammals. ORIGIN 1950s: from Greek skōr, skat- ‘dung ’.

scat

Scatchard plot

scathe

scathe |skeɪð | archaic ▶verb [ with obj. and usu. with negative ] harm; injure: he was barely scathed. • literary damage or destroy by fire or lightning. ▶noun [ mass noun ] harm; injury. DERIVATIVES scatheless adjective ORIGIN Middle English: from Old Norse skathi (noun ), skatha (verb ); related to Dutch and German schaden (verb ).

scathing

scath ¦ing |ˈskeɪðɪŋ | ▶adjective witheringly scornful; severely critical: she launched a scathing attack on the Prime Minister. DERIVATIVES scathingly adverb

scatology

scatology |skaˈtɒlədʒi | ▶noun [ mass noun ] an interest in or preoccupation with excrement and excretion. • obscene literature that is concerned with excrement and excretion. DERIVATIVES scatological |-təˈlɒdʒɪk (ə )l |adjective ORIGIN late 19th cent.: from Greek skōr, skat- ‘dung ’ + -logy .

scatophagous

scatter

scat |ter |ˈskatə | ▶verb [ with obj. ] 1 throw in various random directions: scatter the coconut over the icing | his family are hoping to scatter his ashes at sea. • cover (a surface ) with objects thrown or spread randomly over it: sandy beaches scattered with driftwood. • (be scattered ) [ usu. with adverbial ] occur or be found at intervals rather than all together: there are many watermills scattered throughout the marshlands | (as adj. scattered ) : a scattered cliff-top community. 2 [ no obj. ] (of a group of people or animals ) separate and move off quickly in different directions: the roar made the dogs scatter. • [ with obj. ] cause (a group of people or animals ) to move off quickly in different directions: he charged across the foyer, scattering people. 3 Physics deflect or diffuse (electromagnetic radiation or particles ). 4 Baseball pitch (balls ) effectively, allowing several hits but little or no scoring. ▶noun 1 a small, dispersed amount of something: a scatter of boulders round the pothole mouth. 2 [ mass noun ] Statistics the degree to which repeated measurements or observations of a quantity differ. 3 [ mass noun ] Physics the scattering of light, other electromagnetic radiation, or particles. DERIVATIVES scatterer noun ORIGIN Middle English (as a verb ): probably a variant of shatter .

scatterbrain

scat ¦ter |brain |ˈskatəbreɪn | ▶noun a person who tends to be disorganized and lacking in concentration.

scatterbrained

scat ¦ter |brained |ˈskatəbreɪnd | ▶adjective (of a person ) disorganized and lacking in concentration.

scatter cushion

scat |ter cush |ion ▶noun a small cushion designed to be placed randomly so as to create a casual effect and to be moved as required.

scatter diagram

scatter diagram |ˈskatəɡram |(also scatter plot ) ▶noun Statistics a graph in which the values of two variables are plotted along two axes, the pattern of the resulting points revealing any correlation present.

scattergram

scattergram (also scattergraph ) ▶noun another term for scatter diagram.

scattergun

scat ¦ter |gun |ˈskatəɡʌn | ▶adjective another term for scattershot. ▶noun N. Amer. a shotgun.

scattering

scat ¦ter |ing |ˈskatərɪŋ | ▶noun 1 an act of scattering something. • a small, dispersed amount of something: the scattering of freckles across her cheeks and forehead. 2 [ mass noun ] Physics the process in which electromagnetic radiation or particles are deflected or diffused.

scattering angle

scat ¦ter |ing angle ▶noun Physics the angle through which a scattered particle or beam is deflected.

scatter rug

scat |ter rug ▶noun a small decorative rug designed to be placed with a casual effect and moved as required.

scattershot

scat ¦ter |shot |ˈskatəʃɒt | ▶adjective denoting something that is broad but random and haphazard in its range: you cannot take a scattershot approach to a public relations campaign.

scatty

scatty |ˈskati | ▶adjective ( scattier, scattiest ) Brit. informal absent-minded and disorganized. DERIVATIVES scattily adverb, scattiness noun ORIGIN early 20th cent.: abbreviation of scatterbrained .

American Oxford Thesaurus

scathing

scathing adjective another restaurant has fallen victim to one of her scathing reviews: devastating, extremely critical, blistering, searing, withering, scorching, fierce, ferocious, savage, severe, stinging, biting, cutting, mordant, trenchant, virulent, caustic, vitriolic, scornful, sharp, bitter, harsh, unsparing; rare mordacious. ANTONYMS mild, gentle, complimentary.

scatter

scatter verb 1 the papers were scattered by the sudden breeze | scatter the seeds as evenly as possible: throw, strew, toss, fling; sprinkle, spread, distribute, sow, broadcast, disseminate; literary bestrew. ANTONYMS gather. 2 the crowd scattered | onlookers were scattered in all directions: disperse, break up, disband, separate, move /go in different directions, go separate ways; dissipate, dissolve; drive, send, put to flight, chase. ANTONYMS assemble. CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD scatter, broadcast, diffuse, dispel, disperse, disseminate, dissipate If you scatter something, you throw it about in different directions, often using force (the wind scattered leaves around the yard ). Disperse implies a scattering that completely breaks up a mass or assemblage and spreads the units far and wide (the crowd dispersed as soon as the storm arrived; the ships were so widely dispersed that they couldn't see each other ). To dispel is to scatter or to drive away something that obscures, confuses, or bothers (to dispel her fears ), while to diffuse is to lessen the intensity of something by spreading it out over a broader area (the curtains diffused the bright sunlight pouring in the window ). Dissipate suggests that something has completely dissolved, disintegrated, or vanished (early-morning mist dissipated by the sun ). Broadcast originally meant to scatter seed, but it is also used figuratively to mean make public (The news of the president's defeat was broadcast the next morning ). Disseminate also means to publish or make public, but it implies a wider audience and usually a longer duration. You can spend a lifetime disseminating knowledge, in other words, but you would broadcast the news of the birth of your first grandchild. These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.

scatterbrain

scatterbrain noun he's such a scatterbrain that he missed his own birthday: absentminded person; informal airhead, flake, ditz, space cadet.

scatterbrained

scatterbrained adjective my scatterbrained kids left their jackets on the bus: absentminded, forgetful, disorganized; dreamy, with one's head in the clouds, with a mind /memory like a sieve, featherbrained, birdbrained, giddy; informal dizzy, dippy, ditzy, flaky, scatty, not with it, out to lunch.

Oxford Thesaurus

scathing

scathing adjective the shadow trade and industry spokesman launched a scathing attack on the government: devastating, withering, blistering, extremely critical, searing, scorching, fierce, ferocious, savage, severe, stinging, biting, cutting, mordant, trenchant, virulent, caustic, vitriolic, scornful, sharp, bitter, acid, harsh, unsparing; rare mordacious. ANTONYMS mild, gentle; complimentary.

scatter

scatter verb 1 he broke the slices of bread into pieces and scattered them over the lake | scatter the seeds as evenly as possible: throw, strew, toss, fling; sprinkle, spread, distribute, sow, broadcast, intersperse, disseminate; shower, spatter, spray; literary bestrew. ANTONYMS collect, gather. 2 the police fired over their heads and the crowd scattered | he spurred his horse forward, scattering onlookers in all directions: disperse, break up, disband, separate, move /go in different directions, go separate ways; dissipate, disintegrate, dissolve; drive, send, put to flight, chase. ANTONYMS assemble, converge, congregate. 3 the sky above them was scattered with stars: fleck, stud, dot, cover, sprinkle, stipple, spot, pepper; litter; literary bestud. CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD scatter, disperse, dissipate These words all describe the spreading out or elimination of something or a group of things that originally formed a concentrated or closely knit whole. ■ Scatter emphasizes the random distribution of something over a wide area (the occupants had scattered far and wide | sow thinly in rows, rather than scattering the seeds randomly ). ■ With disperse, the emphasis is primarily on the parting and spreading out of people or things rather than on where they all go (troops were deployed to disperse the protesters ), but the result will probably be more even or organized than with scatter. Unlike scatter, disperse can refer to the thinning of mist, cloud, and similar concentrations of small particles (the blanket of fog above their heads began to disperse ). ■ With dissipate, the emphasis is more on the actual loss of a commodity, substance, or form of energy than on the manner of its going: something that is dissipated is spread out so thinly that it is no longer detectable or usable (the semiconductor has low power requirements, thereby dissipating little heat ). Dissipate can also describe the thinning of mist or cloud; unlike disperse, it is extended to the fading away of emotions, especially unpleasant ones (she waited a moment for her exasperation to dissipate ). If money or resources are dissipated, they are squandered on something or other (he turned out to be a waster and dissipated his fortune ).These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.

scatterbrained

scatterbrained adjective a scatterbrained young woman: absent-minded, forgetful, with a mind like a sieve, disorganized, unsystematic; dreamy, wool-gathering, with one's head in the clouds, feather-brained, feather-headed, birdbrained, empty-headed, erratic, giddy; informal scatty, dizzy, dippy, not with it. ANTONYMS organized, together.

scattering

scattering noun a scattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose: handful, few, one or two, not many, a small number; sprinkling, dusting, smattering, smatter.

Duden Dictionary

Scat

Scat Substantiv, maskulin Jazz , der |skæt |englisch-amerikanisch scat, eigentlich = Knall (lautmalend ) Gesang 1a , bei dem (statt eines [Lied ]textes ) Silben gesungen werden, die keine Bedeutung haben

Scatgesang

Scat ge sang Substantiv, maskulin Jazz , der |ˈskæt …|ohne Plural Scat Louis Armstrong war ein Meister des Scatgesangs

scatten

scat ten schwaches Verb |ˈskætn̩ |Scat singen

French Dictionary

scato-

scato- préf. préfixe Élément du grec signifiant « excrément ». : Scatologie.

scatologie

scatologie n. f. nom féminin Écrit, propos où il est question d ’excréments. Note Orthographique scato l ogie.

scatologique

scatologique adj. adjectif Qui se rapporte à la scatologie. : Des propos scatologiques. Note Orthographique scato l ogique.

Sanseido Wisdom Dictionary

scat

scat 1 /skæt / (!〘楽〙) 名詞 U スキャット〘ジャズの一種で歌声を楽器のように使う〙.動詞～s ; ～ted ; ～ting 自動詞スキャットを [で ]歌う .

scat

scat 2 動詞～s ; ～ted ; ～ting 自動詞｟話｠〖通例命令形で〗あっちに行け, 立ち去れ, しっ!

scathing

scath ing /skéɪðɪŋ /形容詞〈人批評などが〉 «…に対して » 手厳しい, 容赦ない, 批判的な «about » .

scatological

scat o log i cal /skæ̀təlɑ́dʒɪk (ə )l |-lɔ́dʒ -/形容詞｟かたく｠〈ユーモア冗談などが〉 (不快感を与えるくらい )糞便（ふんべん）にまつわる ; 〈人が〉糞便に興味のある, スカトロ趣味の .

scatology

sca tol o gy /skætɑ́lədʒi |-tɔ́l -/名詞 U 糞便（ふんべん）学 ; 糞尿（ふんによう）文学, スカトロジー〘倒錯的な趣味として〙.

scatter

scat ter /skǽtə r /〖語源は「粉みじんにする (shatter )」〗動詞～s /-z /; ～ed /-d /; ～ing /-t (ə )rɪŋ / (!be ～edなど分詞形容詞用法については →scattered ) 他動詞 1 〈人などが〉【場所に】〈多くの物〉をまき散らす , ばらまく (about, around ) «on, over, around » ; 〖～ A with B 〗A 〈場所〉にB 〈物〉をまきひろげる ▸ scatter gravel on a road ≒ scatter a road with gravel 道に砂利をまく [まきひろげる ] (!後者は道全体が覆われる意味を含む ) ▸ More than 200 museums are scattered throughout the country .200以上の博物館がその国中に点在している .2 〈人物が〉 (別々の方向へ )〈人動物など〉を追い散らす , 分散させる ▸ The van roared out, scattering the crowd .そのトラックは轟音（ごうおん）をたてて走り出し, 群衆を追い散らした .3 〈雲など〉を散らす ; 〘物理〙〈光など〉を散乱させる .4 〈恐怖など〉を消散させる .自動詞〈人物が〉ちりぢりになる , 分散する .名詞 1 C ｟文｠〖しばしばa ～ of A 〗まき散らされたA (!Aは複数名詞 ) ▸ a scatter of small stones 散らばった小石 .2 U まき散らすこと, 散布 .

scatterbrain

sc á tter br à in 名詞 C 注意散漫な人, うかつ者 .

scatterbrained

sc á tter br à ined 形容詞｟くだけて｠〈人が〉注意散漫な, 落ち着きがない, 思考力が乏しい (forgetful ).

scattered

scat tered /skǽtə r d /形容詞 1 〈物などが〉 (広範囲に不規則に )散らばった, 点在する ▸ Toys are scattered around [about ] the room .おもちゃが部屋のいたる所に散らばっている ▸ scattered clouds ちぎれ雲 ▸ be scattered to the four winds ｟文｠〈物が〉 (跡形もなく )粉々に散らばる .2 〖be ～〗〈場所などが〉 «…で » 散らばる , ちりばめられる «with » ▸ His room was scattered with video tapes .彼の部屋にはビデオテープが散乱していた .3 時折起こる ▸ scattered showers にわか雨 (!天気予報で用いる ) .

scattering

sc á t ter ing /-t (ə )rɪŋ /名詞 C 1 〖通例a ～ of A 〗(ある範囲に )点在 [散在 ]する少数のA (!Aは複数名詞 ) ▸ a scattering of houses 点在する家 .2 〘物理〙(電波などの )散乱 .形容詞散在する, まばらな ; 散発的な .

scattershot

sc á tter sh ò t 形容詞〖通例名詞の前で〗計画性 [一貫性 ]のない, 行き当りばったりの〈方法など〉; 乱射の ; 無差別の .

scatty

scat ty /skǽti /形容詞｟英くだけて｠〈人が〉 (現実感に乏しく )物忘れのひどい, 間抜けな, 分別のない ; 少し気が狂った .sc á t ti ness 名詞