strew

[stroo]

verb (used with object)

strewed, strewn, strewed, strewing. 

1. to let fall in separate pieces or particles over a surface; scatter or sprinkle.

   to strew seed in a garden bed.

   Synonyms: broadcast
   Antonyms: reap, gather

2. to cover or overspread (a surface, place, etc.) with something scattered or sprinkled.

   to strew a floor with sawdust.

3. to be scattered or sprinkled over (a surface).

   Sawdust strewed the floor.

4. to spread widely; disseminate.

   to strew rumors among the troops.

strew

/ struː /

verb

1. to spread or scatter or be spread or scattered, as over a surface or area

Other Word Forms

• strewer noun
• understrew verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of strew¹

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 )

Word History and Origins

Origin of strew¹

Old English streowian; related to Old Norse strā, Old High German streuwen, Latin struere to spread

Synonym Study

See sprinkle.

Example Sentences

The cemetery temporarily shut down in 2000 when, in response to a complaint, state investigators showed up and found bone fragments and casket shards strewn on the grounds.

From Los Angeles Times

One witness told The Buffalo News that he saw a bus lying on its side and items strewn on the roadway following the crash.

From BBC

Hundreds of books have been left strewn across the pavement by council-employed contractors outside a former library in south London.

From BBC

Each just the size of my hand, the soft wooden chairs lie strewn around a stack of bricks.

From Los Angeles Times

But when I finally figured out where the plaque was supposed to be, I found a shallow slot strewn with trash and the remnants of the adhesive that once kept the plaque in its place.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• scatter 
• sprinkle