noun · verb · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈspætjʊlə/
/ˈspæt͡ʃʊlə/
/ˈspæt͡ʃələ/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:S P AE1 CH UH2 L AH0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A kitchen utensil consisting of a flat surface attached to a long handle, used for turning, lifting, or stirring food.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: cooking, food, lifestyle
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fish slice, fish trowel, turner, pancake turner, kitchen turner, cooking turner, flipper
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A kitchen utensil consisting of a flexible surface attached to a long handle, used for scraping the sides of bowls.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Canada, US
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: scraper, dough scraper
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A palette knife.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A thin hand tool, often made of nickel, for handling chemicals or other materials, when weighing, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A tongue depressor.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
A croupier's tool for turning up cards in a casino.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
A sclerotized, T-shaped plate in the prothorax of larvae of flies belonging to family Cecidomyiidae, the gall midges.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: biology, entomology, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
verb
Meaning 8
To lift with or as if with a spatula.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
verb
Meaning 9
To strike with a spatula.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
noun
Meaning 10
a hand tool with a thin flexible blade used to mix or spread soft substances
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: hand tool
Narrower terms: palette knife, putty knife, slice
11
noun
Meaning 11
a turner with a narrow flexible blade
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: turner, food turner
History
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.
Across languages
Translations
96 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
مِلْعَقَةُ الصَيْدَلِيِّ
(milʕaqatu ṣ-ṣaydaliyyi)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Arabic:
ملاس
(millās)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Armenian:
բահիկ
(bahik)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Belarusian:
лапатка
(lapatka)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Belarusian:
лапатачка
(lapatačka)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Bengali:
কাফগীর
(kafgīr)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Bulgarian:
шпатула
(špatula)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Catalan:
espàtula
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Catalan:
giradora
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Catalan:
girapeix
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Chinese Cantonese:
鑊鏟 /镬铲
(wok6 caan2)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Chinese Mandarin:
鍋鏟 /锅铲
(guōchǎn)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Czech:
obracečka
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Danish:
palet
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Danish:
paletkniv
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Dutch:
spatel
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Esperanto:
truleto
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Esperanto:
spatelo
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Finnish:
lasta
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
French:
spatule
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Galician:
espátula
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Gallo:
palitchette
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
German:
Pfannenwender
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
German:
Bratenwender
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Greek:
σπάτουλα
(spátoula)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Icelandic:
spaði
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Indonesian:
sendok
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Irish:
spadal
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Italian:
spatola
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Italian:
paletta
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Japanese:
箆
(hera)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Japanese:
スパーテル
(supāteru)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Japanese:
フライ返し
(furaigaeshi)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Khmer:
វែកកូរ
(vɛɛk kou)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Korean:
뒤집개
(dwijipgae)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Northern Kurdish:
hevstîv
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Northern Kurdish:
spatûla
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Latin:
spatula
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Latin:
rutabulum
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Macedonian:
ло́патче
(lópatče)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Malay:
sudip
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Brunei Malay:
sinduk
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Māori:
koko
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Middle English:
sclise
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Mongolian:
хусуур
(xusuur)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Navajo:
bee náʼayooʼniłí
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Norwegian:
stekespade
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Persian:
کفگیر
(kafgir)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Plautdietsch:
Scheppelkje
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Polish:
łopatka kuchenna
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Polish:
szpatułka kuchenna
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Portuguese:
espátula
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Russian:
лопа́точка
(lopátočka)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Russian:
лопа́тка
(lopátka)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Spanish:
espátula
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Swedish:
stekspade
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Tagalog:
espatula
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Tajik:
кафгир
(kafgir)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Thai:
ตะหลิว
(dtà-lǐu)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Turkish:
spatula
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Turkish:
mablak
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Ottoman Turkish:
مابلاق
(mablak)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Ukrainian:
шпа́тель
(špátelʹ)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Vietnamese:
dao bay
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Vietnamese:
que phết
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Welsh:
sbatwla
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Welsh:
ysbodol
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Yiddish:
שפּאַטל
(shpatl)
— kitchen utensil for turning and lifting
Bulgarian:
мастихин
(mastihin)
— palette knife
Czech:
malířská špachtle
— palette knife
Danish:
palet
— palette knife
Danish:
paletkniv
— palette knife
Dutch:
spatel
— palette knife
Dutch:
steker
— palette knife
Finnish:
palettiveitsi
— palette knife
German:
Spachtelmesser
— palette knife
Italian:
mestichino
— palette knife
Italian:
paletta
— palette knife
Italian:
spatola
— palette knife
Polish:
szpachla
— palette knife
Polish:
szpachelka (malarska)
— palette knife
Tagalog:
espatula
— palette knife
Turkish:
mablak
— palette knife
Ottoman Turkish:
مابلاق
(mablak)
— palette knife
Belarusian:
шпатэль
(špatelʹ)
— thin hand tool for handling chemicals or other materials
Bulgarian:
шпатула
(špatula)
— thin hand tool for handling chemicals or other materials
Danish:
spatel
— thin hand tool for handling chemicals or other materials
Dutch:
spatel
— thin hand tool for handling chemicals or other materials
Finnish:
spaatteli
— thin hand tool for handling chemicals or other materials
German:
Spatel
— thin hand tool for handling chemicals or other materials
Indonesian:
spatula
— thin hand tool for handling chemicals or other materials
Indonesian:
spatel
— thin hand tool for handling chemicals or other materials
Polish:
szpachla
— thin hand tool for handling chemicals or other materials
Russian:
шпа́тель
(špátelʹ)
— thin hand tool for handling chemicals or other materials
Swedish:
spatel
— thin hand tool for handling chemicals or other materials
Welsh:
spatwla
— thin hand tool for handling chemicals or other materials
