Scatterling

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small, scattered fragment or particle, often separated from a larger body or group
2. A diminutive entity that is dispersed or spread out rather than concentrated
3. A tiny piece or individual that is found amongst other disbursed items or organisms

Etymology: "Scatterling" is a plain English formation: the verb "scatter" with the suffix "-ling" attached. The suffix is an old Germanic one, found in words like "duckling" and "nestling," where it typically marks a small or young thing, or a thing belonging to a certain kind. Attached to "scatter," it yields a noun for something small that has been thrown or strewn apart from the rest. The result is a word that names a fragment rather than a group, the lone bit left behind after a larger whole has been broken up or dispersed. Its meaning follows directly from its parts, so there is little hidden history to uncover beyond that construction.

Synonyms: drifter, wanderer, roamer