Definition of "smattering" [smat•ter•ing]

• Superficial or piecemeal knowledge: "a smattering of everything, and a knowledge of nothing” ( Charles Dickens). (noun)
• A small, scattered amount or number: a smattering of raindrops. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• ""A smattering," is how Barry described the warm reception."
• "Gayatri proved to be an able companion through the years -- even picking up Tamil (Prahalad could speak a smattering of Gujarati)."
• "I used to be semi-fluent in Japanese and I could speak a smattering of Mandarin enough to order in a restaurant and get on and off the bus in the right spots."