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spatter

/ˈspætɚ/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about spatter at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. The noise of something spattering or sputtering explosively.
    he heard a spatter of gunfire
  2. The act of splashing a (liquid) substance on a surface.

verb

  1. Dash a liquid upon or against.
    The mother splashed the baby's face with water
  2. Rain gently.
    It has only sprinkled, but the roads are slick
  3. Spot, splash, or soil.
    The baby spattered the bib with food

Origin

Probably from Middle Low German or Dutch spatten (“to spout, burst”) + -er (frequentative suffix). Related to spit (“saliva”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)