/'skætə(r); `skætɚ/
v
1 [I, Tn] (cause people or animals to) move, usu quickly, in different directions （使人或动物）散开
*The crowd scattered. 人群散开了.
* The police scattered the crowd. 警察驱散了人群.
2 (a) [Tn, Tn.pr, Tn.p] throw (sth) in different directions; put here and there 撒（某物）; 散布
*scatter seed (over the ground) 播种
* scatter grit on the road 把沙砾撒在路面上
* We scattered plates of food around the room before the party. 我们在聚会前把一盘盘食物摆放在屋中各处.
* (fig 比喻) Don't scatter your money around. 别到处挥霍.
(b) [Tn.pr] ~ sth with sth cover (a surface, etc) with sth by throwing it in different directions 将某物撒在（某物表面）上
*scatter the lawn with grass seed 把草籽撒在草坪上.

NOTE ON USAGE
*When we scatter something we throw it in different directions. *scatter指将某物向四面八方扔去. We can also scatter an area (the ground, a field, etc) with something 这个词也可指将某物撒在一处（地上、田里等）
*scatter seeds on the fields/scatter the fields with seeds 在田里播种[把种子撒在田地里]. Scatter over/about suggests that the throwing is done carelessly and causes a mess *scatter over/about指随便扔, 弄得乱七八糟
*Who's scattered my papers all over the floor? 谁把我的文件扔得满地都是?
* We came home to find our belongings scattered about the room. 我们回到家里看到东西扔得满屋都是. Strew is most commonly used in the past participle form strewn. *strew多见于其过去分词形式strewn. *It can suggest both intentional and careless throwing 这一动作既可为有意识的, 也可为随随便便的
*The streets were strewn with flowers for the royal visit. 街道布满了花朵以迎接王室成员莅临.
* There was litter strewn all over the pavement. 人行道上到处都是扔的垃圾. Sprinkle is used with water, sand, salt, etc and indicates intentional scattering, usually over a small area *sprinkle用以指洒水、撒沙子、撒盐等, 且指有意识地散布在通常为一小块范围内
*Sprinkle a little salt on the rice. 在米饭上撒点盐.
* The priest sprinkled holy water on the baby's forehead. 神父把圣水洒在婴儿的额头上.
* The grass was sprinkled with dew. 草上沾满了露珠.

v [I and T]
[Date: 1100-1200; Origin: Perhaps from shatter]
if someone scatters a lot of things, or if they scatter, they are thrown or dropped over a wide area in an irregular way
scatter (sth) over/around/across etc sth
　Scatter the onions over the fish.
　The flowers fell and scattered on the ground.
if a group of people or animals scatter, or if something scatters them, they move quickly in different directions
　The sound of gunfire made the crowd scatter in all directions.
→scattered, scattering