spattering
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Related to spattering: splattering
spat·ter
(spăt′ər)v. spat·tered, spat·ter·ing, spat·ters
v.tr.
1. To scatter (a liquid, for example) in drops or small amounts: spattered the paint on the canvas.
2. To spot, splash, or soil with drops or small amounts: The passing car spattered my pants with mud.
3. To strike or land on in a dispersed way: Rain spattered the pavement.
v.intr.
1. To come forth in drops or small amounts: Hot grease spattered in all directions.
2. To fall in a shower or make contact in a dispersed way, as rain or bullets.
n.
1. The act or an instance of spattering: a spatter of mud on his pants.
2. A spattering sound: awakened by the spatter of rain on the window.
3.
a. A drop or splash of something spattered: spatters of paint on his shoes.
b. A small amount; a smattering: just a spatter of praise.
[Perhaps of Low German origin.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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| Noun | 1. |  spattering - the noise of something spattering or sputtering explosively; "he heard a spatter of gunfire"noise - sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound); "he enjoyed the street noises"; "they heard indistinct noises of people talking"; "during the firework display that ended the gala the noise reached 98 decibels" |
| 2. |  spattering - the act of splashing a (liquid) substance on a surfacepainting - the act of applying paint to a surface; "you can finish the job of painting faster with a roller than with a brush" |
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