| strew | 1. To scatter; to spread by scattering; to cast or to throw loosely apart; used of solids, separated or separable into parts or particles; as, to strew seed in beds; to strew sand on or over a floor; to strew flowers over a grave. "And strewed his mangled limbs about the field." (Dryden) "On a principal table a desk was open and many papers [were] strewn about." (Beaconsfield) 2. To cover more or less thickly by scattering something over or upon; to cover, or lie upon, by having been scattered; as, they strewed the ground with leaves; leaves strewed the ground. "The snow which does the top of Pindus strew." (Spenser) "Is thine alone the seed that strews the plain?" (Pope) 3. To spread abroad; to disseminate. "She may strew dangerous conjectures." (Shak) Origin: OE. Strewen, strawen, AS. Strewian, streowian; akin to Ofries. Strewa, OS. Strewian, D. Strooijen, G. Streuen, OHG. Strewen, Icel. Stra, Sw. Stro, Dan. Stroe, Goth. Straujan, L. Sternere, stratum, Gr, Skr. St. 166. Cf. Stratum, Straw, Street. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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