Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Shatter

Shat′ter

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Shattered
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Shattering
.]
[OE.
schateren
,
scateren
, to scatter, to dash, AS.
scateran
; cf. D.
schateren
to crack, to make a great noise, OD.
schetteren
to scatter, to burst, to crack. Cf.
Scatter
.]
1.
To break at once into many pieces; to dash, burst, or part violently into fragments; to rend into splinters;
as, an explosion
shatters
a rock or a bomb; too much steam
shatters
a boiler; an oak is
shattered
by lightning.
A monarchy was
shattered
to pieces, and divided amongst revolted subjects.
Locke.
2.
To disorder; to derange; to render unsound;
as, to be
shattered
in intellect; his constitution was
shattered
; his hopes were
shattered
.
A man of a loose, volatile, and
shattered
humor.
Norris.
3.
To scatter about.
[Obs.]
Shatter
your leaves before the mellowing year.
Milton.

Shat′ter

,
Verb.
I.
To be broken into fragments; to fall or crumble to pieces by any force applied.
Some fragile bodies break but where the force is; some
shatter
and fly in many places.
Bacon.

Shat′ter

,
Noun.
A fragment of anything shattered; – used chiefly or soley in the phrase into shatters;
as, to break a glass into
shatters
.
Swift.

Webster 1828 Edition


Shatter

SHAT'TER

, v.t.
1. To braek at once into many pieces; to dash, burst, rend or part by violence into fragments; as, explosion shatters a rock or bomb; lightning shatters the sturdy oak; steam shatters a boiler; a monarchy is shattered by revolt.
2. To rend; to crack; to split; to rive into splinters.
3. To dissapate; to make incapable of close and continued application; as a man of shattered humor.
4. To disorder; to derange; to render delirious; as, to shatter teh brain, the man seems to be shattered in his intellect.

SHAT'TER

,
Verb.
I.
To be broken into fragments; to fall or crumble to pieces by any force applied.
Some shatter and fly in many places. Bacon.

Definition 2024


shatter

shatter

English

Verb

A lightglobe shatters after it is shot with a pistol

shatter (third-person singular simple present shatters, present participle shattering, simple past and past participle shattered)

  1. (transitive) to violently break something into pieces.
    The miners used dynamite to shatter rocks.
    a high-pitched voice that could shatter glass
    The old oak tree has been shattered by lightning.
  2. (transitive) to destroy or disable something.
  3. (intransitive) to smash, or break into tiny pieces.
  4. (transitive) to dispirit or emotionally defeat
    to be shattered in intellect; to have shattered hopes, or a shattered constitution
    • 1984 Martyn Burke, The commissar's report, p36
      Your death will shatter him. Which is what I want. Actually, I would prefer to kill him.
    • 1992 Rose Gradym "Elvis Cures Teen's Brain Cancer!" Weekly World News, Vol. 13, No. 38 (23 June, 1992), p41
      A CAT scan revealed she had an inoperable brain tumor. The news shattered Michele's mother.
    • 2006 A. W. Maldonado, Luis Muñoz Marín: Puerto Rico's democratic revolution, p163
      The marriage, of course, was long broken but Munoz knew that asking her for a divorce would shatter her.
    • Norris
      a man of a loose, volatile, and shattered humour
  5. (obsolete) To scatter about.
    • Milton
      Shatter your leaves before the mellowing year.

Translations

Noun

shatter (plural shatters)

  1. (archaic) A fragment of anything shattered.
    to break a glass into shatters
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Jonathan Swift to this entry?)

Anagrams