strew

Meaning

Verb

• To distribute objects or pieces of something over an area, especially in a random manner.
• To cover, or lie upon, by having been scattered.
• To spread abroad; to disseminate.

Related

Similar words

• scatter, sprinkle

Origin

• From Middle English strewen, strawen, streowen, from Old English strewian, strēawian, strēowian, from Proto-West Germanic *strauwjan, from Proto-Germanic *strawjaną ("to strew"), from Proto-Indo-European *strew- ("to spread, scatter").
• Cognate with Scots strow, straw, West Frisian streauwe ("to strew"), Dutch strooien ("to strew, scatter, sprinkle"), German streuen ("to strew, scatter"), Swedish strö ("to strew"), Icelandic strá ("to strew"), Norwegian Nynorsk strå ("to strew").