Bespatter
/bɪˈspæt.ər/noun
To cover or soil with drops or spots of a liquid or dirty substance.
Did you know?The core of bespatter is tied to the old idea of a sudden striking splash, and English kept the prefix be- to make the action feel fully, almost violently, done.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sput-
“to spit, eject saliva or liquid”
Old English
OE
spætan
“to spit”
Middle English
ME
spatten
“to spit or splash”
Early Modern English
English
bespatter
“to splash or soil with drops”
Modern English
English
bespatter
“to cover with scattered drops or dirty spots”