strew
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to let fall in separate pieces or particles over a surface; scatter or sprinkle.
to strew seed in a garden bed.
- Synonyms:
- broadcast
-
to cover or overspread (a surface, place, etc.) with something scattered or sprinkled.
to strew a floor with sawdust.
-
to be scattered or sprinkled over (a surface).
Sawdust strewed the floor.
-
to spread widely; disseminate.
to strew rumors among the troops.
verb
Related Words
See sprinkle.
Other Word Forms
- strewer noun
- understrew verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of strew
First recorded before 1000; Middle English strewen, Old English strewian; cognate with German streuen, Old Norse strā, Gothic straujan; akin to Latin sternere “to spread” ( stratum )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This matters most because ambiguity over his goal has been repeatedly questioned in Congress and the path to it is strewn with the greatest risks of all.
From BBC
Streets in the commercial district lie strewn with debris after the Uba River overflows, collapsing a bridge and several buildings.
From Barron's
A medical doctor, Drew studied for seven years in Cuba and said friends there have told him of food scarcity, power outages and garbage strewn in the streets.
From Barron's
Underfoot, the rubber flooring is torn and strewn with trash.
From Barron's
Footage from the city of Bnei Brak showed the women running through streets strewn with rubbish and overturned bins as police officers formed a protective barrier.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
