scat·ter·ing
ˈska-tə-riŋ 
2
: something scattered: such as
a
: a small number or quantity interspersed here and there
a scattering of visitors
b
: the random change in direction of the particles constituting a beam or wave front due to collision with particles of the medium traversed
1
: going in various directions
2
: found or placed far apart and in no order
3
: divided among many or several
scattering votes
Examples of scattering in a Sentence
Noun
the scattering of the protesters suddenly turned violent and chaotic
a scattering of people in the mostly empty theater
Recent Examples on the Web
Rhett Allain, WIRED, 11 Oct. 2024
In the lab, the researchers created membranes made purely of lipids extracted from the jellies and observed them under different pressures using x-ray scattering and fluorescence spectroscopy.
—science.org, 3 July 2024
Light scattering is also why the sky appears blue during the day.
—Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 27 May 2024
By contrast, the scattering of right-wing Israeli political leaders in attendance appeared rather miserable.
—Jeffrey Goldberg, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2013
See all Example Sentences for scattering 
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Noun
There’s always a bunch of other stuff in the atmosphere that causes scattering, like water vapor, dust, and debris.
—Rhett Allain, WIRED, 11 Oct. 2024
In the lab, the researchers created membranes made purely of lipids extracted from the jellies and observed them under different pressures using x-ray scattering and fluorescence spectroscopy.
—science.org, 3 July 2024
Light scattering is also why the sky appears blue during the day.
—Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 27 May 2024
By contrast, the scattering of right-wing Israeli political leaders in attendance appeared rather miserable.
—Jeffrey Goldberg, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2013
See all Example Sentences for scattering
Dictionary Entries Near scattering
Cite this Entry
“Scattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scattering. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scattering
1 of 2 noun
scat·ter·ing
ˈskat-ə-riŋ
1
: an act or process in which something scatters or is scattered
2
: something scattered
especially
: a small number or amount placed or found here and there
a scattering of visitors
scattering
2 of 2 adjective1
: going in various directions
2
: found or placed far apart and in no pattern
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