spatulate

• spathulate

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈspa.tjʊ.lət/, /ˈspa.tʃʊ.lət/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

spatulate (comparative more spatulate, superlative most spatulate)

1. Shaped like a spatula; having a rounded, flattened extremity.

   Synonyms: spatular, spatuloid, spatulous

   • 1903 December 26, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist”, in The Return of Sherlock Holmes, New York, N.Y.: McClure, Phillips & Co., published February 1905, →OCLC:

     “I nearly fell into the error of supposing that you were typewriting. Of course, it is obvious that it is music. You observe the spatulate finger-ends, Watson, which is common to both professions? […] ”

   • 1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance (Avignon Quintet), Faber & Faber, published 2004, page 804:

     For a moment he was sunk in thought, coiling (so it seemed) and uncoiling his long spatulate fingers.

2. (botany) Of a leaf: having a broad, flat end and tapering into a narrower base.

• subspatulate

spatulate (third-person singular simple present spatulates, present participle spatulating, simple past and past participle spatulated)

1. To treat or mix with a spatula.
2. To incise the end of (a pliable cylindrical structure) such that the cut end can be splayed apart and flattened.

• spatula

spatulāte

1. vocative masculine singular of spatulātus