spatter
spatter Lexical Profile
spatter Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To cover or mark a surface with small, scattered drops or spots of liquid or dirt.
"Passing cars spattered the pedestrians with muddy water from the puddles."
To fly, fall, or scatter in small droplets or particles.
"Drops of paint spattered across the newspaper on the floor."
• noun
A spray or splash of small drops or spots of liquid, mud, or another substance.
"The apron protected her shirt from the spatter of hot cooking oil."
A light, rattling sound of things pattering or striking a surface in small drops or bursts.
"We heard a sudden spatter of raindrops against the bedroom window."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Spatter' and 'splatter' are closely related, but 'spatter' typically refers to a shower of small, scattered droplets (such as rain or grease), whereas 'splatter' suggests a larger, heavier, or messier splash.
• Rhymes for spatter
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the late 16th century, likely from a Low German or Dutch frequentative verb (such as 'spatteren') meaning to splash or spit repeatedly, of imitative origin.