splatter

American  

[splat-er] / ˈsplæt ər /

verb (used with or without object)

1. to splash and scatter upon impact.

   The paint splattered when I dropped the bucket.

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noun

1. an act or instance of splattering.

2. the quantity splattered.

   to wipe up a splatter of ketchup on the rug.

adjective

1. characterized by gory imagery.

   splatter films.

splatter British  

/ ˈsplætə /

verb

1. to splash with small blobs; spatter

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noun

1. a splash of liquid, mud, etc

Other Word Forms

• unsplattered adjective

Etymology

Origin of splatter

1775–85; blend of splash and spatter

Explanation

In horror movies, you'll see a lot of blood splattering on walls. Ick. To splatter is to splash liquid. A splatter is also the spot the liquid makes. When you spill some liquid on the ground, the sound it makes is splat. Splash a lot of it, and you have a splatter — drops of the liquid across a large area. If you are frying meat in a hot pan, the grease will splatter across the stove and counter near it. In the figurative use, gossip about a celebrity's mishaps is often splattered throughout a gossip magazine like spilled milk on a floor.

Example Sentences

“That way if anything does splatter, at least it will hit our chef jacket.”

From Salon • Mar. 25, 2025

There was no trace of Yablonka, including any blood splatter.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 30, 2023

After India had added only one to their overnight 151-5, Scott Boland produced a nip-backer to splatter the stumps of Bharat and give the impression that Australia would hurry through the lower order.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2023

Eggman’s bill would significantly lower the bar “so the sickest of people don’t fall through the cracks and splatter on the sidewalks,” she says.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2023

We were sitting in the attic yesterday afternoon working on our French when suddenly I heard the splatter of water behind me.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank