Spatulate
/ˈspætʃ.ə.lət/noun
Shaped like a spatula, broad at one end and narrow at the other.
Did you know?Spatulate comes from Latin spathula, a diminutive of spatha, and that same ancient root also gave English words tied to blades, swords, and broad flat objects.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*speh₂-
“to draw, stretch out, or spread flat”
Ancient Greek
Gk
spáthē (σπάθη)
“a broad blade, paddle, or flat strip”
Latin
Lat
spatha
“a broad blade or sword”
Latin
Lat
spathula
“a little flat blade; a small spatula”
Late Latin / Middle English
LLat/ME
spatulat-
“shaped like a spatula, broad and flat at one end”
Modern English
Eng
spatulate
“having a broad, rounded end and a narrow base”