"scattering" in the noun sense
1. scattering, sprinkling
a small number (of something) dispersed haphazardly
"the first scatterings of green"
"a sprinkling of grey at his temples"
2. scattering
the physical process in which particles are deflected haphazardly as a result of collisions
3. scattering, sprinkle, sprinkling
a light shower that falls in some locations and not others nearby
4. dispersion, scattering
spreading widely or driving off
5. scatter, scattering, strewing
the act of scattering
"scattering" in the verb sense
1. disperse, dissipate, dispel, break up, scatter
to cause to separate and go in different directions
"She waved her hand and scattered the crowds"
2. disperse, dissipate, scatter, spread out
move away from each other
"The crowds dispersed"
"The children scattered in all directions when the teacher approached"
3. scatter, sprinkle, dot, dust, disperse
distribute loosely
"He scattered gun powder under the wagon"
4. scatter
sow by scattering
"scatter seeds"
5. break up, disperse, scatter
cause to separate
"break up kidney stones"
"disperse particles"
6. spread, scatter, spread out
strew or distribute over an area
"He spread fertilizer over the lawn"
"scatter cards across the table"
Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)
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