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To those Jews who, after the Exile, were scattered through the Old World, and afterwards to Jewish Christians living among heathen. Cf. James i.1.

s; to send out, or extend, in all directions; to spread; to circulate; to disseminate; to scatter; as to diffuse information. Thence diffuse His good to worlds and ages infinite. Milton. We find this knowledge diffused among all civilized nations. Whewell.

To loose the bands of; to set free; to disunite; to scatter; to disperse; to break up the organization of; especially, to dismiss from military service; as, to disband an army. They disbanded themselves and returned, every man to his own dwelling. Knolles.

To scatter in fight; to put to rout; to defeat. And his proud foes discomfit in victorious field. Spenser.

To break up; to disperse; to scatter; to dissipate; to drive away; -- said especially of tumors. Many arts were used to discuss the beginnings of new affection. Sir H. Wotton. A pomade . . . of virtue to discuss pimples. Rambler.

To disperse; to scatter; -- opposite of congregate. [Obs.]

To scatter abroad. [Obs.] Holland.

To drive away by scattering, or so to cause to vanish; to clear away; to banish; to dissipate; as, to dispel a cloud, vapors, cares, doubts, illusions. [Satan] gently raised their fainting courage, and dispelled their fears. Milton. I saw myself the lambent easy light Gild the brown horror, and dispel the night. Dryden…

To scatter; to sprinkle. [Obs.] Odorous water was Disperpled lightly on my head and neck. Chapman.

The act or result of dispersing or scattering; dispersion. Darwin.

To scatter abroad; to drive to different parts; to distribute; to diffuse; to spread; as, the Jews are dispersed among all nations. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge. Prov. xv. 7. Two lions, in the still, dark night, A herd of beeves disperse. Cowper.

Scattered. -- Dis*pers"ed*ly, adv. -- Dis*pers"ed*ness, n. Dispersed harmony (Mus.), harmony in which the tones composing the chord are widely separated, as by an octave or more.

The act or process of scattering or dispersing, or the state of being scattered or separated; as, the Jews in their dispersion retained their rites and ceremonies; a great dispersion of the human family took place at the building of Babel. The days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished. Jer. xxv. 3…

To sow broadcast or as seed; to scatter for growth and propagation, like seed; to spread abroad; to diffuse; as, principles, ideas, opinions, and errors are disseminated when they are spread abroad for propagation.

Occurring in small portions scattered through some other substance.

minating, or the state of being disseminated; diffusion for propagation and permanence; a scattering or spreading abroad, as of ideas, beliefs, etc. The universal dissemination of those writings. Wayland.

Capable of being scattered or dissipated. [R.] The heat of those plants is very dissipable. Bacon.

To scatter completely; to disperse and cause to disappear; -- used esp. of the dispersion of things that can never again be collected or restored. Dissipated those foggy mists of error. Selden. I soon dissipated his fears. Cook. The extreme tendency of civilization is to dissipate all intellectual energy. Hazlitt.…

Squandered; scattered. "Dissipated wealth." Johnson.

s, a name given, in the south of England, to weatherworn, rough pillars of gray sandstone scattered over the chalk downs, but in other countries generally in the form of circles, or in detached pillars.