Other forms: smatterings
A smattering is a slight and superficial knowledge of something. A smattering of French, a smattering of physics, only a smattering.
It nearly always takes of and is a confession rather than a boast. It also means a small scattered number of things, as in a smattering of applause.
1nounsmatteringA slight and superficial knowledge of something.
“He speaks fluent French and a smattering of German.”
smattering is a knowledge.
SMATTERing → knowledge SCATTERed thin
What you know is scattered so thin it barely covers the subject.
hooks ontoscatter
From smatter, an old verb meaning to talk superficially, plus -ing.
From smatter + -ing.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA