spatula

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin spatula (“a flat piece”), the diminutive form of spatha (“broad or flat tool”), from Ancient Greek σπάθη (spáthē, “a broad wood or metal blade”). Doublet of spauld; compare spatha and spathe.

noun

1. A kitchen utensil consisting of a flat surface attached to a long handle, used for turning, lifting, or stirring food.
2. (Canada, US) A kitchen utensil consisting of a flexible surface attached to a long handle, used for scraping the sides of bowls.
3. (dated) A palette knife.
4. (chemistry) A thin hand tool, often made of nickel, for handling chemicals or other materials, when weighing, etc.
5. A croupier's tool for turning up cards in a casino.
   The croupier delicately faced her other two cards with the tip of his spatula. A four! She had lost! 1963, Ian Fleming, On Her Majesty's Secret Service
6. (entomology) A sclerotized, T-shaped plate in the prothorax of larvae of flies belonging to family Cecidomyiidae, the gall midges.
   The third instars are similar to other members of the genus except for a three-pronged spatula (typically two-pronged) and five lateral papillae (typically four) and with a nonbristled first instar. November 2, 2015, Donald B. Thomas, John A. Goolsby, “Morphology of the Preimaginal Stages of Lasioptera donacis Coutin (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), a Candidate Biocontrol Agent for Giant Arundo Cane”, in Psyche, →DOI

verb

1. (transitive) To lift with or as if with a spatula.
   A book on Pastels referes [sic] to a rough Modeling paste to be spatulaed over cotton duck. 3 September 1996, Macy Garcia, “What is the difference between Gesso, Modeling Paste & Texture Gel?”, in rec.arts.fine (Usenet)
   So if you get road-pizzaed, should you have to pay in order to get yourself spatulaed off of the street? 15 May 1997, Toby, “Any same-sex marriage opposition?”, in alt.atheism (Usenet)
   Eddie spatulaed the patty onto a bun and extracted tomatoes, lettuce, and sliced pickles from a Tupperware. 2018-03-13, Bruce Holbert, Whiskey: A Novel, MCD, page 4
2. (transitive) To strike with a spatula.
   Or if you're a Ranma Character. I mean, they've been kicked/punched/thrown/hammered/spatulaed into the stratosphere enough times, you gotta figure they've developed a prretty high threshold of pain/injury. 14 March 1997, arnoldkim, “Best way to get yourself killed in anime”, in rec.arts.anime.misc (Usenet)
   i.....am............dying.....................i'vebeen..............spatula'd........................to.........death... 15 February 2000, erik, “*”, in alt.bored (Usenet)
   I haven't spatulaed anyone in ages... 7 March 2000, Justa Hillbilly, “Does this place get WILD???”, in alt.bored (Usenet)