SCATTER, DISPERSE, DISSIPATE, DISPEL mean to cause to separate or break up.

SCATTER implies a force that drives parts or units irregularly in many directions.

e.g. the bowling ball scattered the pins

DISPERSE implies a wider separation and a complete breaking up of a mass or group.

e.g. police dispersed the crowd

DISSIPATE stresses complete disintegration or dissolution and final disappearance.

e.g. the fog was dissipated by the morning sun

DISPEL stresses a driving away or getting rid of as if by scattering.

e.g. an authoritative statement that dispelled all doubt

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throw in various random directions:

〈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

e.g. scatter the coconut over the icing

e.g. his family is hoping to scatter his ashes at sea.

(be scattered) usually with adverbial occur or be found at intervals rather than all together:

e.g. there are many mills scattered throughout the marshlands

e.g. (as adjective scattered) : a scattered mountain community.

(of a group of people or animals) separate and move off quickly in different directions:

〈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

e.g. the roar made the dogs scatter.

cause (a group of people or animals) to separate and move off quickly in different directions:

e.g. he charged across the foyer, scattering people.

(usually be scattered with) cover (a surface) with objects thrown or spread randomly over it:

e.g. sandy beaches scattered with driftwood.

Physics deflect or diffuse (electromagnetic radiation or particles).

〘物理〙 〈光など〉を散乱させる

a small, dispersed amount of something:

｟文｠ ; 〖しばしばa ～ of A〗 まき散らされたA (!Aは複数名詞)

e.g. a scatter of houses on the north shore.

Statistics the degree to which repeated measurements or observations of a quantity differ.

〘統計〙 散布図

Physics the scattering of light, other electromagnetic radiation, or particles.

scatterer noun

scatterable adjective

scatteration | ˌskatəˈrāSHən | noun

Middle English (as a verb): probably a variant of shatter.