Scatter means to throw or spread things in different directions so they end up separated and spread out. When you accidentally knock over a box of puzzle pieces, they scatter across the floor. When a strong wind blows through a pile of autumn leaves, it scatters them across the yard. Seeds scatter when you toss birdseed to chickens or wild birds.

The word captures that sense of things flying apart and landing in random places. A crowd might scatter when something startles them, with people running off in all directions. In a game of tag, players often scatter at the start to avoid being caught first.

Scientists use scatter to describe how light behaves too. When sunlight hits tiny particles in the atmosphere, the light scatters in different directions. This scattering of blue light is actually what makes the sky look blue during the day.

The opposite of scatter is gather: you scatter seeds when planting them, then gather the vegetables when they're ready to harvest. Something scattered is spread out and disorganized, like toys scattered around a playroom. When you see things scattered about, you know they were once together but got separated and spread around.