spatter

1 of 2

verb

spat·​ter ˈspa-tər How to pronounce spatter (audio)
spattered; spattering; spatters

intransitive verb

: to spurt forth in scattered drops
blood spattering everywhere

transitive verb

1
: to splash with or as if with a liquid
also : to soil in this way
his coat was spattered with mud
2
: to scatter by or as if by splashing
spatter water
3
: to cover with or as if with splashes or spots
4
: to cast aspersions on : defame
spattered my reputation

spatter

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: the act or process of spattering : the state of being spattered
b
: the noise of spattering
2
a
: a drop or splash spattered on something or a spot or stain due to spattering
b
: a small amount or number : sprinkle
a spatter of applause

Examples of spatter in a Sentence

Verb The dog jumped in the pool and spattered us with water. His clothes were spattered with paint. When you cook bacon, the grease spatters everywhere. He showed me how to use the paintbrush so the paint wouldn't spatter. Noun There were grease spatters all over the wall. The floor was covered with spatters of paint. There was a lot of paint spatter on the floor.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Notebooks, clothes and tins of food lay scattered on the ground, spattered with what appeared to be blood. Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 12 Sep. 2024 Blood spattered the white steps of the speaker’s podium. Reuters, CNN, 17 Aug. 2024
Noun
Lots of options are less conspicuous than the one that involves a broken windshield speckled with blood spatter. Brian Grubb, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2024 Investigators allegedly later found a chainsaw with human remains on it, as well as blood spatter and cleaning supplies in the basement, per the charging documents, WUSA9 reported. Christine Pelisek, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for spatter 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

akin to Frisian spatterje to spatter, Middle Dutch bespatten to splash

First Known Use

Verb

1600, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1797, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of spatter was in 1600

Dictionary Entries Near spatter

Cite this Entry

“Spatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spatter. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

spatter

1 of 2 verb
spat·​ter ˈspat-ər How to pronounce spatter (audio)
1
: to splash with drops or small bits of something wet
spatter the paper with paint
2
: to scatter by splashing
spattered mud all over my coat

spatter

2 of 2 noun
1
: the act or sound of spattering
2
: a drop or splash spattered on something : a spot or stain due to spattering

More from Merriam-Webster on spatter

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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