What is "strewing"

Strew \Strew\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Strewed; p. p. strewn; p. pr. & vb. n. Strewing.] [OE. strewen, strawen, AS. strewian, stre['o]wian; akin to Ofries. strewa, OS. strewian, D. strooijen, G. streuen, OHG. strewen, Icel. str[=a], Sw. str["o], Dan. str["o]e, Goth. straujan, L. sternere, stratum, Gr. ?, ?, Skr. st?. [root]166. Cf. Stratum, Straw, Street.]

1. To scatter; to spread by scattering; to cast or to throw loosely apart; -- used of solids, separated or separable into parts or particles; as, to strew seed in beds; to strew sand on or over a floor; to strew flowers over a grave.

   And strewed his mangled limbs about the field.
   --Dryden.

   On a principal table a desk was open and many papers [were] strewn about.
   --Beaconsfield.

2. To cover more or less thickly by scattering something over or upon; to cover, or lie upon, by having been scattered; as, they strewed the ground with leaves; leaves strewed the ground.

   The snow which does the top of Pindus strew.
   --Spenser.

   Is thine alone the seed that strews the plain?
   --Pope.

3. To spread abroad; to disseminate.

   She may strew dangerous conjectures.
   --Shak.

Strewing \Strew"ing\, n.

1. The act of scattering or spreading.

2. Anything that is, or may be, strewed; -- used chiefly in the plural.
   --Shak.

n. The act of scattering or spreading.

n. the act of scattering [syn: scatter, scattering]