noun

splat

Splat (noun) means the sharp sound, or the resulting messy shape, made when something soft or wet hits a surface. Example: “The water balloon landed with a loud splat.”

noun

The sharp sound, or the resulting messy shape, made when something soft or wet hits a surface.

"The water balloon landed with a loud splat."

Computing: the asterisk symbol (*), especially when used to mean "any" or a variable list of arguments.

"The function uses a splat to accept any number of arguments."

verb

To hit a surface and flatten into a messy shape.

"The egg splatted onto the kitchen floor."

How to use splat

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe sound/mess of something soft hitting a surface, or (in coding) the asterisk symbol used for flexible argument lists.

Word forms

splatted past tense, splats plural, splats plural, splats singular

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The water balloon landed with a loud _____.

Etymology

From an earlier sense of splat meaning "to spread flat," related to Middle English splatten, "to stretch out or split."

Origin: Middle English

Rhymes for splat

lat flat

See all rhymes for splat →

Frequently asked questions

What does “splat” mean?

The word “splat” means the sharp sound, or the resulting messy shape, made when something soft or wet hits a surface. In plain terms, the sound/mess of something soft hitting a surface, or (in coding) the asterisk symbol used for flexible argument lists.

How do you pronounce “splat”?

“Splat” is pronounced splat (/splæt/ in IPA).

How do you use “splat” in a sentence?

Here is “splat” used in a sentence: “The water balloon landed with a loud splat.”

What part of speech is “splat”?

Depending on how it is used, “splat” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “splat” come from?

The word “splat” comes from Middle English. From an earlier sense of splat meaning "to spread flat," related to Middle English splatten, "to stretch out or split.".

How many meanings does “splat” have?

“Splat” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the sharp sound, or the resulting messy shape, made when something soft or wet hits a surface.