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.
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.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.