Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to leave, to go away.

1903		A.H. Lewis Boss 147: I can’t just stand here talkin’; I’ve got to scatter for th’ Grand Central.
1930		(con. 1890) G. Milburn ‘A Convention Song’ in Hobo’s Hornbook 26: The night was getting started / When someone heard a clatter, / And the clowns from town came swarming down / And maybe we didn’t scatter.
1930		(con. 1921) G. Milburn Hobo’s Hornbook 30: We scattered to the railroad yards.
1977		Fidrych & Clark No Big Deal 33: ‘T. So that's just natural, people move on. M. Yeah, you scatter’.
1984		Smiley Culture ‘Cockney Translation’ 🎵 Cockney say scarper. We say scatter.
2001		G. Coughlan Everyday Eng. and Sl. 🌐 Scatter (v): run away from something.

2. (US black) to shoot dead.

1982		(con. 1970) J.M. Del Vecchio 13th Valley (1983) 372: I’d rather git scattered stormin the prison that got Bobby Seale chained up.
2000		F.X. Toole Rope Burns 233: Brothuhs ain’t supposed a scatter a brothuh you don’t know that?