spatulate

[ spach-uh-lit, -leyt ]

/ ˈspætʃ ə lɪt, -ˌleɪt /

adjective

shaped like a spatula; rounded more or less like a spoon.

Botany. having a broad, rounded end and a narrow, attenuate base, as a leaf.

Nearby words

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

Origin of spatulate

From the New Latin word spatulātus, dating back to 1750–60. See spatula, -ate¹

Related forms

sub·spat·u·late, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for spatulate

The flower is composed of thirty-eight spatulate petals and fourteen sepals.
The Fantastic Clan|John James Thornber
You observe the spatulate finger-end, Watson, which is common to both professions?
The Return of Sherlock Holmes|Arthur Conan Doyle
The teeth of all species of Smilisca are spatulate and bifid.
Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus Smilisca|William E. Duellman
Leaves crowded at the ends of the flowering branches, obovate or spatulate, auriculate at base, smooth (1 ft. long).
Trees of the Northern United States|Austin C. Apgar

Fingers that are slender and longer than the palm, but with spatulate tips, indicate versatility, wit and intuitive perception.
The Influence of the Stars|Rosa Baughan

British Dictionary definitions for spatulate

spatulate

/ (ˈspætjʊlɪt) /

adjective

shaped like a spatula

Also: spathulate botany having a narrow base and a broad rounded apexa spatulate leaf

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

spatulate

adjective

Nearby words

Origin of spatulate

Related forms

Examples from the Web for spatulate

British Dictionary definitions for spatulate

spatulate

adjective

Medicine definitions for spatulate

spatulate

adj.