Spatula
/ˈspætʃ.ʊ.lə/noun
A flat, broad tool or utensil used for spreading, lifting, or flipping.
Did you know?Spatula comes from Latin *spatha* (“broad blade” or “sword”), so the word for a cooking utensil is secretly tied to the same ancient blade-family as weapons and scraping instruments.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*speh₂-
“to draw, stretch, or broaden”
Latin
Latin
spatha
“a broad blade, sword, or flat strip”
Late Latin
Latin
spatula
“a small flat blade or broad flat utensil”
Old French
Old French
espatule
“a small flat blade or scraper”
Middle English
English
spatule
“a flat instrument for spreading or scraping”
Modern English
English
spatula
“a flat, broad tool or kitchen utensil used for lifting, spreading, or flipping”