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Scatter vs Congregate - What's the difference?

scatter | congregate |

In lang=en terms the difference between scatter and congregate

is that scatter is to occur or fall at widely spaced intervals while congregate is (intransitive): to come together; to assemble; to meet.

As verbs the difference between scatter and congregate

is that scatter is (ergative) to (cause to) separate and go in different directions; to disperse while congregate is (transitive): to collect into an assembly or assemblage; to assemble; to bring into one place, or into a united body; to gather together; to mass; to compact.

As an adjective congregate is

(rare) collective; assembled; compact.

scatter

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • (ergative) To (cause to) separate and go in different directions; to disperse.
    • the police scattered the crowds
    the crowd scattered
  • * Shakespeare
    • Scatter and disperse the giddy Goths.
  • To distribute loosely as by sprinkling.
    • Her ashes were scattered at the top of a waterfall.
  • * Dryden
    • Why should my muse enlarge on Libyan swains, / Their scattered cottages, and ample plains?
  • (physics) To deflect (radiation or particles).
  • To occur or fall at widely spaced intervals.
  • To frustrate, disappoint, and overthrow.
    • to scatter hopes or plans

    Derived terms

    * scatterbrain * scatterplot * scattershot

    congregate

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (rare) Collective; assembled; compact.
  • * 1605 , (Francis Bacon), The Advancement of Learning , Book II, Chapter IX:
    • With this reservation, therefore, we proceed to human philosophy or humanity, which hath two parts: the one considereth man segregate or distributively, the other congregate or in society; so as human philosophy is either simple and particular, or conjugate and civil.

    Verb

    (congregat)
  • (transitive): To collect into an assembly or assemblage; to assemble; to bring into one place, or into a united body; to gather together; to mass; to compact.
  • * Hooker,
    • Any multitude of Christian men congregated may be termed by the name of a church.
  • * Coleridge,
    • Cold congregates all bodies.
  • * Milton,
    • The great receptacle Of congregated waters he called Seas.
  • (intransitive): To come together; to assemble; to meet.
  • * ,
    • Even there where merchants most do congregate .

    Synonyms

    *

    Related terms

    * congregation