ð, [Ulf. draibjan; v. drífa], to scatter, disperse, with dat.; dreifðu þeir þá öllu liðinu. Nj. 207, Hkr. i. 250; er þú dreifðir svá mjök frá þér fjölmenni því er …, Fms. vii. 182: metaph. to divert, d. hug e-s, Hom. 38: with the notion of violence, to scatter, Post. 656 C. 14: to strew, tak duft ok dreif á sárit, Pröver 471: to sprinkle, d. vatni, Fms. i. 262, Ísl. ii. 403. Barl. 185: adding acc. of the person, d. e-n blóði, to bedabble with blood, Am. 19; ok dreifir þá meðr blóðinu, Stj. 78.

β. with acc. to disperse, dissolve; dreifðum vér Guðs óvini (acc.), 655 xxxii; vóru dreifð öll bein hans, 623. 33 (very rarely); vera dreifðr við e-ð, to be mixed up with a thing, (mod.)

II. reflex. to be spread out, Eg. 530; of the branches of a tree, Edda 10: orð dreifask (gramm.), words are derived from, Skálda 205.