different between shatter vs powder

English

Etymology

From Middle English schateren (“to scatter, dash”), an assibilated form of Middle English scateren ("to scatter"; see scatter), from Old English scaterian, from Proto-Germanic *skat- (“to smash, scatter”). Cognate with Dutch schateren (“to burst out laughing”), Low German schateren, Albanian shkatërroj (“to destroy, devastate”). Doublet of scatter.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??æt.?(?)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??æt.?/
• Rhymes: -æt?(?)
• Hyphenation: shat?ter

Verb

shatter (third-person singular simple present shatters, present participle shattering, simple past and past participle shattered)

1. (transitive) to violently break something into pieces.

2. (transitive) to destroy or disable something.
3. (intransitive) to smash, or break into tiny pieces.
4. (transitive) to dispirit or emotionally defeat
   • 1984 Martyn Burke, The commissar's report, p36

     Your death will shatter him. Which is what I want. Actually, I would prefer to kill him.

   • 1992 Rose Gradym "Elvis Cures Teen's Brain Cancer!" Weekly World News, Vol. 13, No. 38 (23 June, 1992), p41

     A CAT scan revealed she had an inoperable brain tumor. The news shattered Michele's mother.

   • 2006 A. W. Maldonado, Luis Muñoz Marín: Puerto Rico's democratic revolution, p163

     The marriage, of course, was long broken but Munoz knew that asking her for a divorce would shatter her.
5. (obsolete) To scatter about.

Translations

Noun

shatter (countable and uncountable, plural shatters)

1. (countable, archaic) A fragment of anything shattered.
   • 1731, Jonathan Swift, Directions to Servants

     it will fall upon the glass of the sconce, and break it into shatters

2. A (pine) needle.

   Synonym: shat (Maryland, Delaware)

   • 1834, The Southern Agriculturist and Register of Rural Affairs: Adapted to the Southern Section of the United States, page 421:

     My usual habit is, as soon as I get my wheat trodden out, and my corn secured in the fall, to litter my farm yard (and if my cultivation is far off, I select some warm spot near the field) with leaves and pine shatters, (preferring the former) ...

   • 1859, Samuel W. Cole, The New England Farmer, page 277:

     They are preserved in cellars, or out of doors in kilns. The method of fixing them is to raise the ground a few inches, where they are to be placed, and cover with pine shatters to the depth of six inches or more.

   • 2012, Marguerite Henry, Sea Star: Orphan of Chincoteague, Simon and Schuster (?ISBN), page 95:

     Grandpa snapped his fingers. "Consarn it all!" he sputtered. "I plumb forgot the pine shatters. Paul and Maureen, you gather some nice smelly pine shatters from off 'n the floor of the woods. Nothin' makes a better cushion for pony feet as pine shatters ..."

3. (uncountable, slang) A form of concentrated cannabis.

Translations

Anagrams

• Hatters, Threats, hatters, stareth, threats

English

Alternative forms

• powdre (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English poudre, pouder, pouldre, borrowed from Old French poudre, poldre, puldre, from Latin pulverem, accusative singular of Latin pulvis (“dust, powder”). compare pollen fine flour, mill dust, E. pollen. Compare polverine, pulverize.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?pa?.d?(?)/
• Rhymes: -a?d?(?)

Noun

powder (countable and uncountable, plural powders)

1. The fine particles which are the result of reducing dry substance by pounding, grinding, or triturating, or the result of decay; dust.
   • Grind their bones to powder small.

2. (cosmetics) A mixture of fine dry, sweet-smelling particles applied to the face or other body parts, to reduce shine or to alleviate chaffing.
3. An explosive mixture used in gunnery, blasting, etc.; gunpowder.
4. (informal) Ellipsis of powder snow Light, dry, fluffy snow.
5. Ellipsis of powder blue The colour powder blue.

Derived terms

Descendants

• Tok Pisin: paura
  • ? Rotokas: paora
• ? Hindi: ?????? (p?u??r)
• ? Maori: paura
• ? Urdu: ?????? (p?u??r)

Translations

Verb

powder (third-person singular simple present powders, present participle powdering, simple past and past participle powdered)

1. (transitive) To reduce to fine particles; to pound, grind, or rub into a powder.
   • 25 October 2016, Bettina Elias Siegel writing in New York Times, Should the Food Industry Sneak Vegetables Into Food?

     In desperation, they dried fruits and vegetables in an old food dehydrator they had, then used their coffee grinder to powder the produce...

2. (transitive) To sprinkle with powder, or as if with powder.

   to powder one's hair

   • 23 March 2016, Seth Augenstein in Laboratory Equipment, FDA Proposes Ban on Powdered Surgical Gloves, Decades after Documenting Health Dangers

     Gloves were powdered for more than a century to allow doctors and surgeons to slip them on more easily.

   • 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost

     A circling zone thou seest / Powdered with stars.

3. (intransitive) To use powder on the hair or skin.
   • 1778-1787, Frances Burney, The Diary and Letters of Madame D'Arblay

     If she is grave, and reads steadily on, she dismisses me, whether I am dressed or not; but at all times she never forgets to send me away while she is powdering, with a consideration not to spoil my clothes

4. (intransitive) To turn into powder; to become powdery.
   • 1934, Edward Knight, The Clinical Journal Volume 63

     Ample evidence is brought forward to show that the higher incidence of chronic interstitial nephritis in Queensland is due to lead paint on the verandahs and railings of the houses, which powders easily during the long Australian summer.

5. (obsolete, transitive) To sprinkle with salt; to corn, as meat.
6. (intransitive, slang) To depart suddenly; to "take a powder".
   • 1980, Stephen King, The Wedding Gig

     Miss Gibson appeared in the empty hall, her eyes wide and shocked. The little man who had started all the trouble with his singing telegram had powdered.

Synonyms

• (to reduce to fine particles): pound, grind, comminute, pulverize, triturate

Translations

See also

• powder on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• powdre, powred, prowed

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old French poudre.

Noun

powder

1. Alternative form of poudre

Etymology 2

From Old French poudrer.

Verb

powder

1. Alternative form of poudren