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Synonyms

smattering

American  
[smat-er-ing] / ˈsmæt ər ɪŋ /

noun

  1. a slight, superficial, or introductory knowledge of something.

    a smattering of Latin.

  2. a small amount or number.

    She’s written a smattering of poetry.

adjective

  1. slight or superficial.

smattering British  
/ ˈsmætərɪŋ /

noun

  1. a slight or superficial knowledge

  2. a small amount

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • smatteringly adverb

Etymology

Origin of smattering

First recorded in 1530–40; smatter + -ing 1 ( def. ).

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.