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shatter - 6 dictionary results
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shat⋅ter

  [shat-er]
Use shatter in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to break (something) into pieces, as by a blow.
2. to damage, as by breaking or crushing: ships shattered by storms.
3. to impair or destroy (health, nerves, etc.): The incident shattered his composure.
4. to weaken, destroy, or refute (ideas, opinions, etc.): He wanted to shatter her illusions.
–verb (used without object)
5. to be broken into fragments or become weak or insubstantial.
–noun
6. Usually, shatters. fragments made by shattering.
Origin:
1300–50; ME schateren < ?; cf. scatter

Related forms:
shat⋅ter⋅er, noun
shat⋅ter⋅ing⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. shiver, split, crack. See break.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To shatter
shat·ter   (shāt'ər)   
v.   shat·tered, shat·ter·ing, shat·ters

v.   tr.
  1. To cause to break or burst suddenly into pieces, as with a violent blow.
    1. To damage seriously; disable: His health was shattered by the disease.
    2. To cause the destruction or ruin of; destroy: The outcome of the conflict shattered our dreams of peace and prosperity.
v.   intr.
To break into pieces; smash or burst. See Synonyms at break.
n.  
    1. The act of shattering.
    2. The condition of being shattered.
  2. A splintered or fragmented condition. Often used in the plural: a rare piece of porcelain now in shatters.

[Middle English schateren, from Old English *sceaterian, to scatter.]
shat'ter·ing·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Shatter

Shat"ter\, v. 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.

Shatter

Shat"ter\, v. 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.

Shatter

Shat"ter\, n. A fragment of anything shattered; -- used chiefly or soley in the phrase into shatters; as, to break a glass into shatters. --Swift.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : shatter
Spanish: romper en pedazos, *añicos,
German: in Stücke brechen,
Japanese: こなごなになる
More Translations »

shatter 
c.1330, probably a variant of M.E. scateren (see scatter). Cf. O.Du. schetteren Low Ger. schateren.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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