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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Scatter, -ir, v. Also: skat(t)-, scat- and -yr; skaitter. P.t. and p.p. also skattirte, skatyrt; Chatter. [ME and e.m.E. scater(en (1154), skater(en (a1300), schatre(n (c1330), scatir(en (Wyclif), sketer (16th c.), of obscure origin.]

1. tr. To separate and drive off in different directions; to disperse (persons or things) far and wide. Also with some fig. implication.Also with locative compl. 1513 Doug. vi i 147.
Gif that the wynd thame [sc. leaves] skattir [Sm. scattir] and blaw away Ib. vii i 116.
And furth our al the place … The fyre blesys, thame semyt, skattirris [Sm. skaitteris] sche a1538 Abell 118b.
Than the impriour … skatterit the Turkis sua at thai come neuir to giddir 15.. Clar. ii 42.
Thir knichtis … the mailȝeis scatterit in the feild 1567 G. Ball. 143.
He [sc. God] scatteris all men of proude intent a1578 Pitsc. II 136/10.
Thair sall ane hunder ryse … and sall skatter the proude pak of ȝow hiepocreitis 1596 Dalr. II 453/7.
The quene … lyk a certane sone, new risen to skail and skattir the cloudis of al tumulte

b. passive. To be dispersed or have suffered dispersal by some agency, a superior power, the elements, or some other circumstance stated or implied. Also fig.(a) 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 346.
In that desert dispers in sonder skatterit Wer bewis bair Id. Æn. iii iii 92.
The wyndis weltris the sey continualy … Skatterit widequhar our the fame ful oft War our schippis c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. xxvi 31.
I sal smyte the schephird and the schepe of the flok salbe scattirit Id. Acts xi 19.
Scaterit 1531 Bell. Boece II 454.
All the gret hors … war sa effrayit with the noyis … that na renyeis micht hald thame bot ran skatterit throw the cuntre a1578 Pitsc. I 156/10.
Sic hestie tempestis … that hir schippis was scatterit 1596 Dalr. I 165/21.
That the Romanis now skattired had na tyme to gather agane Ib. 298/15.
Quhill now the men of weir in cruell battel ar all skattirte throuch and throuch c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxxi 25.
Defend thai flok … Dispersit to the warldis end & bring thame hame Into thay fald that now is wyd scatteritt abrod 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii 41b.
Ane fire in the midde flure … being skattered, the miln is brunt(b) a1578 Pitsc. I 405/33.
So the ost was dispersit and skaitterit abrode and the night was growand mark wpoun thamefig. 1562-3 Winȝet II 23/30.
The hail warld than scatterit be a cruel storme of a suddane hæresie

c. passive. To be in a dispersed condition; to be spread out; to be separated from others of the same kind; to be broken up into small groups or quantities. 1513 Doug. iii ii 116.
Mony ilis … Skatterit in the sey yclepit Cyclades Ib. viii iii 6.
On far the cite wallis se thai With towris and the hows hedis on raw Skatterit dispers [L. rara] and bot a few to knaw Ib. ix viii 118.
Quhar as the army of the Troiane syde Was thynnast scattyrrit 1533 Bell. Livy II 290 (BM).
The said Equis … culd led batall bettir quhen thai war skatterit in mony handis than quhen thai war all iunit togidder vnder ane body 1565–6 Reg. Privy C. I 427.
The haill wynis being within the schip sall remane undisponit or scatterit for the said space of four dayis 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xlii 342.
Our countrie clerkis … Wald draw thame hame from all countries … Quhair thay ar scatterit in all airtis c1650 Spalding II 449.
The vther tuo horss regimentis … wes scatterit heir and thair

d. intr. Of a group: To disperse, to break up. 1530 Edinb. B. Rec. II 30.
It is ordanit … that … scho and all hir barnis … [be] bannist this toune … and at thai remane still on the muire quhill thai be clengit and nocht to scatter in the cuntre 15.. Sym & Bruder 132.
The nolt begowth till skatter, The ky ran startling to the corne

e. Of stuff: ? To come apart, so that holes appear between the threads. 1642 Caldwell P. 94.
Taffata sarsenet, such as will not run & scatter in the threads for thinnes

2. tr. a. To spread by scattering, to strew. 1513 Doug. vi xv 88.
The purpour flowris I sal skattir and pull That I may strow with sik rewardis at lest My nevoys sawle

b. absol. To lose or dissipate resources, or the like, by allowing their dispersal. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. xii 30.
He that gaderis nocht togiddir with me scatteris on breed

c. To shed (blood), to kill. 1549 Compl. 27/16.
Them that settis ther felicite to skattir & to skail blude

d. To break up (a language) into mutually incomprehensible dialects. c1515 Asl. MS I 311/15.
For the quhilk God scatterit the tung of Hebrewe quhar with all folkis spak till that day in [72] … langagis sa that nane wnderstud vther

3. To distribute, to place here and there at (irregular) intervals. 1513 Doug. v ii 116.
Sum othir per ordour caldronys gan vpset, And, skatyrt endlang the greyn, the colis het Vndir the spetis swakkis 1662 Crim. Trials III 618.
We … skatered it [sc. animal flesh] wpon and down abow and about the gait … quhair the lairdis … wold most haunt

4. To spread abroad (a rumour). 1675 Edinb. B. Rec. X 231.
Some persones … have scatered false reports traduceing there magistrats