ˈshatter-brain
[See shatter v. 7. Cf. scatter-brain.]
A person of ‘cracked’ brain or wandering wits; a giddy, thoughtless person.
| 1719 D'Urfey Pills II. 327 Sharks, Shagrags, Shatter⁓brains. 1788 Wesley Wks. (1872) VI. 448 A petit-maitre,..or a shatter-brain of any kind. 1853 Hawthorne Eng. Note-Bks. (1883) I. 459 However, she has undoubtedly a mother's love for this poor shatterbrain. |
| attrib. 1837 Miss Mitford Country Stories 11 A shatter⁓brain boy who did not know a violet from a nettle. 1839 T. Mitchell Frogs of Aristoph. Introd. p. cxii, A sort of shatterbrain commingling of right and wrong in his intellect. |
So
ˈshatter-brained a. crazy, light-witted; giddy, thoughtless. (
Cf. scatter-brained.)
| 1727 Bailey vol. II, Shatter-brain'd, Shatter-pated, scarce Compos Mentis, crazy-headed, hare-brain'd, confused, acting without Thought, &c. 1749 G. Lavington Enthus. Meth. & Papists i. (1754) 7 St. Ignatius Loyola, that errant shatter⁓brain'd visionary Fanatic. 1818 Cobbett Pol. Reg. XXXIII. 483 The old, shatterbrained hag who is endeavouring to frighten and murder the people of England. 1824 Scott St. Ronan's xxv, This shatter-brained peer was, in other respects, a handsome, accomplished man. |