I. ˈsplat, usu -ad.+V verb
( splatted ; splatted ; splatting ; splats )
Etymology: Middle English splatten
transitive verb
: to split open and spread out (a pike) for cooking
intransitive verb
1. : to flatten on impact
shooting snowballs that splatted on the black trunks — Saul Bellow
2. : to make a sound characteristic of a bullet flattening on impact
II. noun
( -s )
: a single flat thin often ornamental member of a chairback rising from the seat-rail or one just above it to the top rail used on chairs of the Queen Anne and later styles ; also : a similar horizontal member
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: probably alteration (influenced by splat ) (I) of plat (VIII)
dialect England : a plot of ground ; also : patch , spot , blotch
IV. noun
( -s )
Etymology: back-formation from splatter (III)
: any of various splattering or slapping sounds
splat of naked feet on concrete — Wallace Stegner
the splat of a bullet