A superficial or shallow knowledge of a subject.
She knows a smattering of Greek, but not enough to carry on a conversation.
A small number or amount of something.
There’s only a smattering of people who oppose the first amendment.
To talk superficially; to babble, chatter.
To speak (a language) with spotty or superficial knowledge.
To study or approach superficially; to dabble in.
To have a slight taste, or a slight, superficial knowledge, of anything; to smack.