Nelson-Denny Practice Test

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Enhance your vocabulary and reading comprehension skills with the Nelson-Denny test. Study with comprehensive flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Ensure your success with detailed explanations and insights!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

Which option is closest in meaning to scatter?

Congregate
Disperse
Dissect
Contaminate

The correct answer is: Disperse

The term "scatter" refers to the act of spreading out or distributing items over a wide area, often resulting in them being separated from each other. The word "disperse" aligns closely with this meaning as it also implies spreading something out or moving away from a central point, leading to a distribution of elements over a larger space. In contrast, the other options reflect different actions that do not share this characteristic. "Congregate" means to gather together, which is the opposite of spreading out. "Dissect" refers to cutting something apart for analysis or inspection, which is unrelated to the notion of scattering. "Contaminate" involves making something impure or unsafe by introducing harmful substances, a meaning that is distinct from the concept of spreading or distributing. Therefore, "disperse" is the best choice as it captures the essence of scattering effectively.