/ ˈspætə(r); NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
1.
spatter sb/sth (with sth) | spatter sth (on / over sb/sth) to cover sb/sth with drops of liquid, dirt, etc., especially by accident
SYN splash :
[ vn ]
blood-spattered walls
As the bus passed, it spattered us with mud.
Oil was spattered on the floor.
[also v ]
2.
[ v + adv. / prep. ] ( of liquid ) to fall on a surface in drops, often noisily :
We heard the rain spattering on the roof.
■ noun
(also spat·ter·ing ) [ sing. ] spatter (of sth) a number of drops of a liquid or small amounts of sth that hit a surface; the noise this makes :
a spatter of rain against the window
a spattering of blood
( figurative )
a spatter of applause
••
WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent. (in the sense splutter while speaking ): frequentative, from a base shared by Dutch , Low German spatten burst, spout.