splash

Etymology

Probably an alteration of plash.

noun

1. (onomatopoeia) The sound made by an object hitting a liquid.
   I heard a splash when the rock landed in the pond.
2. A small amount of liquid.
   I felt a splash of rain, so I put up my hood.
   I felt a splash of water on my leg as the car drove into the nearby puddle.
   Add the tomato purée and cook for a further 4-5 minutes. Add a splash of whisky to the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze. 17 August 2014 (last accessed), Chris Morrison, “recipe, Grilled fillet of halibut and langoustine tails with smoked haddock risotto and shellfish froth”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), archived from the original on 2013-07-07
3. A small amount (of color).
   The painter put a splash of blue on the wall to make it more colorful
4. A mark or stain made from a small amount of liquid.
   There was a visible splash on his pants after he went to the bathroom.
5. An impact or impression.
   The new movie made quite a splash upon its release.
6. (computing, informal) A splash screen.
   When the splash appears with Please wait, wait for Windows to start configuration. 2008, Ron Carswell, Heidi Webb, Guide to Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 and Virtual Server 2005
7. (wrestling) A body press; a move where the wrestler jumps forward from a raised platform such as the top turnbuckle, landing stomach first across an opponent lying on the ground below.
8. (dated) A cosmetic powder to whiten the complexion.
9. (journalism) A large, prominent headline or article.
   So for a local newspaper, a splash on a fatal crash is just the first of a series of reports. 2006, Bob Franklin, Local Journalism and Local Media: Making the Local News
   After the brouhaha and the newspaper headline splashes, each of these contentious items would simply die its own quiet death to be replaced by a newer scandal: […] 2019, Victoria Hoffarth, When Turtles Come Home, page 69
10. (military, slang) The shooting down of an aircraft over water.
    Hits were observed, but again the poor functioning of VT ammunition hindered in effecting a splash. 2010, Robin L. Rielly, Kamikaze Attacks of World War II, page 267
11. (MLE, slang) The bleeding caused by a knife wound.
    Jojo caught up and gave him a splash 2020-07-02, “Stop Check”, Td of TPL (lyrics), 1:52–1:56
12. (MLE, slang) A knife.
    You grip your splash for fashion—me and you, we ain’t got the same intentions. 13-08-2021, #CO CMoney (lyrics and music), “Don’t Ask”, 2:51–2:53

verb

1. To hit or agitate liquid so that part of it separates from the principal liquid mass.
   sit and splash in the bathtub
   I know the reason I feel so blessed / My heart still splashes inside my chest October 28 1990, Paul Simon, “She Moves On”, in The Rhythm of the Saints, Warner Bros.
2. To disperse a fluid suddenly; to splatter.
   water splashed everywhere
3. (transitive) To hit or expel liquid at.
   The children were splashing each other playfully in the sea.
   When she comes in the door, splash her with perfume.
4. To create an impact or impression; to print, post, or publicize prominently.
   The headline was splashed across newspapers everywhere.
   Now it's big black cars and Riviera views / And your lover in the foyer doesn't even know you / And your secrets end up splashed on the news front page 2012, “The Lucky One”, in Taylor Swift (lyrics), Red (Taylor's Version), published 2021
5. (transitive) To spend (money).
   After pay day I can afford to splash some cash and buy myself a motorbike.
6. (figurative) To roughly fill with color.
   This was pure theatre, with a 60,000 crowd at Wembley adding colour to the fight to face either England or Denmark in Sunday's final, the stadium splashed with the red of Spain at one end and the victorious blue of Italy at the other as crowds flocked back in ever bigger numbers after pandemic restrictions were lifted. July 6 2021, Phil McNulty, “Italy beat Spain on penalties: 'Pure theatre as Italy present formidable obstacle in final'”, in BBC Sport
7. (transitive, nautical) To launch a ship.
   In the two years following Midway, Japanese shipyards managed to splash only six additional fleet carriers. The United States in the same period added seventeen, along with ten medium carriers and eighty-six escort carriers. 1999 March, David M. Kennedy, "Victory at Sea": Atlantic Monthly
8. (military, slang) To shoot down (an aircraft) over water.
   Planes were sighted at about 5000 yards, fire was opened at 4500 yards; the first plane was splashed about 1800 yards from the ship, the second was splashed about 3000 yards from the ship and rudder shifted to hard right. 2010, Robin L. Rielly, Kamikaze Attacks of World War II, page 234
9. (transitive, MLE) To stab (a person), causing them to bleed.
   Grab him, don't panic, rambo under my jacket Nap him, splash him, then I'm petrol bath my jacket 18-10-2017, “Panic”, Knockoutned (lyrics), performed by #Moscow17 Ruth x Knockoutned