Scatterbrain
/ˈskæt.ər.breɪn/noun
A person who is absent-minded or disorganized.
Did you know?Scatterbrain is a transparent English compound, but its power comes from the violent image of scattering something whole into fragments — a metaphor that made absent-mindedness feel almost like a magical disintegration of the mind.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
scateren
“to scatter, disperse, throw in different directions”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*skuttōną / *skatarōną
“to scatter or dart about”
Middle English
ME
scatteren
“to scatter, disperse, spread widely”
16th-17th Century
English
scatter-brain
“a person with a scattered or disordered mind”
Modern English
English
scatterbrain
“an absent-minded or unfocused person”