spatula

[ spach-uh-luh ]

/ ˈspætʃ ə lə /

noun

an implement with a broad, flat, usually flexible blade, used for blending foods or removing them from cooking utensils, mixing drugs, spreading plasters and paints, etc.

Nearby words

spatter, spatter cone, spatter dash, spatterdash, spatterdock, spatula, spatulate, spaulder, spavin, spavined, spawn

Origin of spatula

1515–25; < Latin: a flat piece, batten, equivalent to spath(a) spathe + -ula -ule

Related formsspat·u·lar, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for spatula

He uses a spatula to flatten the onions and the meat together, creating a broad circular patty with an uneven edge.
The Most American Pit Stop in the U.S.A.|Jane & Michael Stern|July 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Free up the crust with a spatula, and breaking it into smaller pieces, place and serve on separate serving dish.
Persian New Year Celebration With Author Azar Nafisi|Karen Fragala Smith|March 23, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Sam was in the kitchen standing over a sizzling skillet of bacon, spatula in hand.
Ringing in the New Year on Wall Street|Beau Willimon|January 5, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Instead, she picked up the spatula and expertly scooped the eggs onto their two plates and carried them to the breakfast nook.
Ye of Little Faith|Roger Phillips Graham

They were accompanied by a metal stirrer (spatula) for turning the beans.
All About Coffee|William H. Ukers
The width of the spatula averages 15 mm., but the size and shape of the spatula both vary considerably.
Surgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Times|John Stewart Milne
This ledge serves to retain the enamel, and hinders it from falling off when applied and pressed on with a spatula.
A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines|Andrew Ure
It consists of a long shaft with an olivary point at one end and a spatula at the other.
Surgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Times|John Stewart Milne

British Dictionary definitions for spatula

spatula

/ (ˈspætjʊlə) /

noun

a utensil with a broad flat, often flexible blade, used for lifting, spreading, or stirring foods, etc

Derived Formsspatular, adjective

Word Origin for spatula

C16: from Latin: a broad piece, from spatha a flat wooden implement; see spathe

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for spatula

spatula

1520s, from Latin spatula "broad piece, spatula," diminutive of spatha "broad, flat tool or weapon," from Greek spathe "broad blade" (see spade (n.1)). Erroneous form spattular is attested from c.1600.