Adjacent Words

Spatter definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SPAT'TER, v.t. [This root is a derivative of the family of spit, or L. pateo. See Sputter.]
1. To scatter a liquid substance on; to sprinkle with water or any fluid, or with any moist and dirty matter; as, to spatter a coat; to spatter the floor; to spatter the boots with mud. [This word, I believe, is applied always to fluid or moist substances. We say, to spatter with water, mud, blood or gravy; but never to spatter with dust or meal.]
2. Figuratively, to asperse; to defame. [In this sense, asperse is generally used.]
3. To throw out any thing offensive; as, to spatter foul speeches. [Not in use.]
4. To scatter about; as, to spatter water here and there.
SPAT'TER, v.i. To throw out of the mouth in a scattered manner; to sputter. [See Sputter.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the noise of something spattering or sputtering explosively; "he heard a spatter of gunfire" [syn: spatter, spattering, splatter, splattering, sputter, splutter, sputtering]
2: the act of splashing a (liquid) substance on a surface [syn: spatter, spattering, splash, splashing, splattering] v
1: dash a liquid upon or against; "The mother splashed the baby's face with water" [syn: spatter, splatter, plash, splash, splosh, swash]
2: rain gently; "It has only sprinkled, but the roads are slick" [syn: sprinkle, spit, spatter, patter, pitter- patter]
3: spot, splash, or soil; "The baby spattered the bib with food" [syn: spatter, bespatter]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: akin to Frisian spatterje to spatter, Middle Dutch bespatten to splash Date: 1600 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> II. noun Date: 1797 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>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v. 1 tr. a (often foll. by with) splash (a person etc.) (spattered him with mud). b scatter or splash (liquid, mud, etc.) here and there. 2 intr. (of rain etc.) fall here and there (glass spattered down). 3 tr. slander (a person's honour etc.). --n. 1 (usu. foll. by of) a splash (a spatter of mud). 2 a quick pattering sound. Etymology: frequent. f. base as in Du., LG spatten burst, spout

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Spatter Spat"ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spattered; p. pr. & vb. n. Spattering.] [From the root of spit salvia.] 1. To sprinkle with a liquid or with any wet substance, as water, mud, or the like; to make wet of foul spots upon by sprinkling; as, to spatter a coat; to spatter the floor; to spatter boots with mud. Upon any occasion he is to be spattered over with the blood of his people. --Burke. 2. To distribute by sprinkling; to sprinkle around; as, to spatter blood. --Pope. 3. Fig.: To injure by aspersion; to defame; to soil; also, to throw out in a defamatory manner.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Spatter Spat"ter, v. i. To throw something out of the mouth in a scattering manner; to sputter. That mind must needs be irrecoverably depraved, which, . . . tasting but once of one just deed, spatters at it, and abhors the relish ever after. --Milton.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(spatters, spattering, spattered) If a liquid spatters a surface or you spatter a liquid over a surface, drops of the liquid fall on an area of the surface. He stared at the rain spattering on the glass... Gently turn the fish, being careful not to spatter any hot butter on yourself... Blood spattered the dark concrete... = splatter VERB: V prep, V n prep, V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Sprinkle, besprinkle, bespatter, splash, plash. 2. Asperse, defame, traduce, calumniate, vilify, soil. II. v. n. Sputter, spit.

Moby Thesaurus

asperge, barrage, beat, beating, bedabble, bedaub, bedew, bespatter, bespeckle, bespot, besprinkle, bloodstain, blot, blotch, blur, brand, bread, crumb, dab, dabble, damp, dampen, dash, daub, dew, dot, douche, dredge, drizzle, drum, drum music, drumbeat, drumfire, drumming, dust, eyesore, fall, few, fleck, flick, flour, flutter, flyspeck, foam, freckle, froth, handful, hose, hose down, humect, humectate, humidify, irrigate, macula, maculate, maculation, macule, mark, mizzle, moisten, paddle, palpitation, paradiddle, patch, patter, pelt, pepper, pitapat, pitter-patter, plash, pound, pounding, pour, pour with rain, powder, precipitate, pulsation, rain, rain tadpoles, rat-a-tat, rat-tat, rat-tat-tat, rataplan, rattattoo, roll, rub-a-dub, ruff, ruffle, scattering, shower, shower down, slobber, slop, slosh, smatter, smattering, smear, smirch, smouch, smudge, smut, smutch, sparge, spattering, speck, speckle, spindrift, spit, splash, splatter, splotch, splutter, sponge, spot, spray, sprinkle, sprinkling, spume, sputter, staccato, stain, stigma, stream, stud, swash, syringe, taint, tarnish, tat-tat, tattoo, throb, throbbing, thrum, thumping, tom-tom, water, weep, wet, wet down