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scatter rug

scatter rug

3.7
A small mat you can move that covers part of a floor
  • noun
  • /ˈskætər rʌɡ/
translation icon : alfombra pequeña
  • The chair caught on the edge of the scatter rug that overlay the carpet and crashed against the desk.

Examples

  • "Maybe it's a scatter rug."

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Or pretend that the scatter rugs in the long, cool hall are pirate ships and mount an invasion of the parlor.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • "I guess the first time he ever saw her, she was shaking a scatter rug outside her father's home in Taber, Alberta, and he liked everything that he saw.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • There was a scatter rug in the living room that added a splash of color to the decor.

  • She placed a scatter rug near the entrance to catch dirt from shoes.

  • The child played on the scatter rug, surrounded by toys on the floor.

Synonyms

rug
vsscatter rug
352 1.0

A thick piece of cloth placed on the floor for warmth or decoration

is a smaller movable floor piece rather than a large heavy covering
throw rug
vsscatter rug
  • US
4 3.2

A small light mat placed on part of a floor to decorate or protect it

is the same small movable floor piece often used in multiples

How Big

rug
352 1.0
scatter rug
3.7
mat
136 1.0

Surface Forms

scatter rug singular
scatter rugs plural

Morphology

scatter + rug

The noun is compositionally built from 'scatter' (to distribute or place around) + 'rug' (a floor covering), so the phrase transparently denotes a rug that is placed or scattered about a room — typically a small, movable rug covering part of the floor. This compositional relation is predictable and follows normal English modifier+noun patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents should be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

The noun scatter rug comes from the idea of small rugs being scattered across a room, like little mats placed here and there. So, the term now means a small, movable rug used to cover part of a floor, often 'one of several'.