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spatula

1. Meaning:

  • Cooking: A flat-tipped utensil for turning, lifting, or stirring food (e.g., flipping a pancake). In North America, often implies flexibility (e.g., scraping bowl sides).
  • Other: A tool in chemistry, casinos (card turning), or a specific structure in fly larvae (entomology).

2. Pronunciation:

  • Standard English: /ˈspætjʊlə/ (spat-YOUL-uh) – Stress on the first syllable.
  • Alternate US Stress: /ˈspæt͡ʃʊlə/ (spat-SHUL-uh).
  • Historical Latin: /ˈspa.tʊ.ɫa/ (spat-UH-lah).

3. Morphology & Etymology: A borrowing from Late Latin “spatula” meaning “broad, flat piece.” This Latin word is a diminutive form derived from “spatha” (from Greek “spáthē“: a broad wooden/metal blade), meaning “little spathe” or “small flat tool.” It’s a doublet of “spade” in English.

4. Grammar Notes: Functions as both noun and verb.

  • Noun: Plurals: spatulas (common), spatulae/spatulæ (technical/Latin-derived).
  • Verb: Regular forms: spatulas, spatulaing, spatulaed.

5. Interesting Facts:

  • The word literally means “little spathe” (spatha = broad blade/spathe; -ula = diminutive suffix).
  • Its use in entomology for a specific anatomical structure is highly specialized.
  • Late Latin used it to refer to a “scapula” (shoulder blade), highlighting its dimensional sense (flat, broad).

6. Learning Tips:

  • Connect to “spathe”: Remember it meant “broad blade,” leading to flat utensils.
  • Visualize: Picture the thin, flat part scraping batter or flipping a steak.
  • Remember the stress: It’s “SPAT” not “spaTULa”.

Examples:

Simple: She used a spatula to flip the pancake.

Medium: Beyond control panels, spatulas are essential tools in chemistry labs and BBQ kitchens.

Complex: While the entomologist carefully examined the spatula-shaped larva under a microscope, the chef争论ed over the best type of heat-resistant spatula for searing scallops.

Synonyms & Combinations:

Cooking Tools: fish slice, flipper, turner, scraper (US), dough scraper.

Common Collocations:

  • rubber spatula
  • silicone spatula
  • turning spatula
  • heat-resistant spatula
  • cook’s spatula

Mini-Task:

1. Making a Sentence: Write one sentence using “spatula” to mean the cooking tool.

2. Defining the Verb: What does it mean to “spatula” something (verb)?

3. Naming a Synonym: Provide one synonym for a cooking spatula.