Added 9 October 2026

strew

/stɹuː/ verb

In Latin: spargō, cōnsternō Wiktionary

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about strew at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

To distribute objects or pieces of something over an area, especially in a random manner.
to strew sand over a floor
To cover, or lie upon, by having been scattered.
Leaves strewed the ground.
To spread abroad; to disseminate.

From Middle English strewen, strawen, streowen, from Old English strewian, strēawian, strēowian (“to strew, scatter”), from Proto-West Germanic *strauwjan, from Proto-Germanic *strawjaną (“to strew”), from Proto-Indo-European *strew- (“to spread, scatter”). Cognate with Scots strow, straw (“to strew”), 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”).