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.
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)
- (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.
- (transitive) to destroy or disable something.
- (intransitive) to smash, or break into tiny pieces.
- (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
- (obsolete) To scatter about.
- Milton
- Shatter your leaves before the mellowing year.
- Milton
Translations
to violently break something into pieces
|
to smash, or break into tiny pieces
|
Noun
shatter (plural shatters)
- (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?)