Meaning & use
spatula
Last updated
UK/ˈspætʃələ/
US/ˈspætʃələ/
Meaning
nouncountable
a kitchen tool with a broad, flat blade used for lifting, flipping, or spreading food.
Grammar: Shapes vary: flat metal turners for flipping, flexible rubber ones for scraping bowls.
Patterns
- use a spatula
- with a spatula
Use a spatula to flip the pancakes so they don't break.
She scraped the cake batter out of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
He spread frosting on the cake with a small spatula.
Word forms
| plural | spatulas |
|---|
Common combinations
- rubber spatula
- A rubber spatula is best for scraping the last bits of sauce from the pan.
- metal spatula
- Use a metal spatula to lift the burger without it falling apart.
- flip with a spatula
- Flip the eggs with a spatula.
- spatula for flipping
- This spatula is perfect for flipping fish.
Synonyms and how they differ
Commonly confused: spatula or spatula?
spatula vs spatula
Not to be confused with 'spatulate', which means shaped like a spatula.
Practice
What do you use a spatula for?
Choose one answer.
A spatula is a flat tool for lifting and flipping food, like pancakes. It is not used for cutting, boiling, or setting the table.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “spatula”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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