Definition of "strew"

strew

/stɹuː/

verb
third-person singular simple present strews, present participle strewing, simple past strewed, past participle strewn or strewed
1. (dated, except strewn) To distribute objects or pieces of something over an area, especially in a random manner.
  Quotations
  Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew.
  c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act V, scene iii]
  And strewed his mangled limbs about the field.
  1697, Virgil, “Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […]
  On a principal table a desk was open and many papers strewn about.
  1880, [Benjamin Disraeli], Endymion […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Longmans, Green, and Co.
2. (archaic) To cover, or lie upon, by having been scattered.
  Quotations
  The snow which does the top of Pindus strew.
  1596, Edmund Spenser, Prothalamion
  Is thine alone the seed that strews the plain?
  1733, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man. […], (please specify |epistle=I to IV), London: Printed for J[ohn] Wilford, […]
3. (transitive, archaic) To spread abroad; to disseminate.
  Quotations
  She may strew dangerous conjectures.
  c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act IV, scene v]
4. To populate with at random points; to cause to appear randomly distributed throughout.

Definition of "strew"

strew

verb

Quotations

Quotations

Quotations