Crossword clues for scattering
scattering
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Scattering \Scat"ter*ing\, n.
Act of strewing about; something scattered.
--South.
Scatter \Scat"ter\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Scattered; p. pr. & vb. n. Scattering.] [OE. scateren. See Shatter.]
-
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. -
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. -
Hence, to frustrate, disappoint, and overthrow; as, to scatter hopes, plans, or the like.
Syn: To disperse; dissipate; spread; strew.
Scattering \Scat"ter*ing\, a. Going or falling in various directions; not united or aggregated; divided among many; as, scattering votes.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
mid-14c., "that which has been strewn about;" late 14c., "act of dispersing," verbal noun from scatter (v.).
Wiktionary
n. 1 A small quantity of something occurring at irregular intervals and dispersed at random points, 2 (context physics English) The process whereby a beam of waves or particles is dispersed by collisions or similar interactions. vb. (present participle of scatter English)
WordNet
adj. spreading by diffusion [syn: diffusing(a), diffusive, dispersive, disseminative, disseminating, spreading]
n. the physical process in which particles are deflected haphazardly as a result of collisions
a small number dispersed haphazardly; "the first scatterings of green" [syn: sprinkling]
a light shower that falls in some locations and not others nearby [syn: sprinkle, sprinkling]
spreading widely or driving off [syn: dispersion]
Wikipedia
Scattering is a general physical process where some forms of radiation, such as light, sound, or moving particles, are forced to deviate from a straight trajectory by one or more paths due to localized non-uniformities in the medium through which they pass. In conventional use, this also includes deviation of reflected radiation from the angle predicted by the law of reflection. Reflections that undergo scattering are often called diffuse reflections and unscattered reflections are called specular (mirror-like) reflections.
Scattering may also refer to particle-particle collisions between molecules, atoms, electrons, photons and other particles. Examples include: cosmic ray scattering in the Earth's upper atmosphere; particle collisions inside particle accelerators; electron scattering by gas atoms in fluorescent lamps; and neutron scattering inside nuclear reactors.
The types of non-uniformities which can cause scattering, sometimes known as scatterers or scattering centers, are too numerous to list, but a small sample includes particles, bubbles, droplets, density fluctuations in fluids, crystallites in polycrystalline solids, defects in monocrystalline solids, surface roughness, cells in organisms, and textile fibers in clothing. The effects of such features on the path of almost any type of propagating wave or moving particle can be described in the framework of scattering theory.
Some areas where scattering and scattering theory are significant include radar sensing, medical ultrasound, semiconductor wafer inspection, polymerization process monitoring, acoustic tiling, free-space communications and computer-generated imagery. Particle-particle scattering theory is important in areas such as particle physics, atomic, molecular, and optical physics, nuclear physics and astrophysics.
Usage examples of "scattering".
Like a glow-worm golden In a dell of dew, Scattering unbeholden Its aereal hue Among the flowers and grass, which screen it from the view!
All he could see were people afoot, and they were scattering before his charge.
Without hesitation he ascended the throne, seized the treasure, and scattering it with his accustomed profusion among the soldiers, endeavored to awake in their minds the memory of his ancient dignity and exploits.
Next, glorious bars of light sprang up across the eastern sky, and through them the radiant messengers of the dawn came speeding upon their arrowy way, scattering the ghostly vapours and awaking the mountains with a kiss, as they flew from range to range and longitude to longitude.
An army sworn to a god bereft of its power was, as far as Itkovian was concerned, no different from any other band of mercenaries: a collection of misfits and a scattering of professional soldiers.
She watched the lamb step towards the water and saw the stillness of the surface, reflecting back the image of the reeds around the far side, the blueness of the sun and a scattering of fluffy white clouds.
Panels in the side of the cruise missile blew out, scattering bomblets across the tarmac in a rain of death.
The carabiniere with the gun took aim and the space behind the Land Rover cleared, with everybody ducking down and scattering.
Cowboy hopes to find a window to launch another missile, but the blazing fuel just over the rise is confusing his sensors and the coleopter suddenly banks into a swift turn, scattering thermite decoys that burn like miniature parachute suns, and the window that fluttered open for a second is gone.
In a fine temper, he galloped to Mackintosh land and released himself by harassing crofters, scattering herds, and causing mischief wherever he could.
Instinctively he flapped his wings, scattering dander and loose feathers.
Ztang dehisced, scattering a rattle of seeds across the floor, but everyone else offered upbeat, if bemused, encouragement.
The dilaceration of Zagreus into fragments, the mangling of Osiris and scattering of his limbs abroad, they say, refer to the throwing open of the ark and the going forth of the inmates to populate the earth.
The sun had barely risen but Drusy was out, scattering corn to her chickens.
Dropping to her knees on the thatch, she scrambles down to where the cable runs over the eaves and backs up along it, scattering sweetener.