Spatel
spatula
Definition & meaning
A Spatel is a hand tool with a broad, flat, and often flexible blade. It is used in various fields for lifting, spreading, mixing, or scraping substances.
Depending on the context, it has different specific uses:
- Medical and Laboratory use: A small, often stainless steel or plastic tool used to handle chemicals, mix ointments in a pharmacy, or depress the tongue during a throat examination (Mundspatel).
- Kitchen use: Often called a Teigschaber, it is used to scrape batter from bowls or to flip food in a pan.
- Art and Craft: Artists use it to mix paints on a palette or apply thick layers of paint to a canvas.
Grammar & Word origin
The word Spatel is a masculine noun. Its plural form remains the same as the singular: die Spatel.
Grammar details:
- Nominative Singular: der Spatel
- Nominative Plural: die Spatel
The word originates from the Latin term spatula, which is a diminutive of spatha. Spatha refers to a broad, flat tool or a wide sword. This reflects the physical shape of the tool, which has remained relatively consistent throughout history.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms:
- For the kitchen: Teigschaber or Pfannenwender.
- For construction/art: Spachtel or Malmesser.
- General mixing: Rührspatel.
Antonyms:
There are no direct linguistic antonyms for a specific tool like a Spatel. However, in terms of function, tools used for cutting or piercing, such as a Messer or a Nadel, could be considered functional opposites since a spatula is designed to be blunt and spread material rather than divide it.
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Examples
Ich benutze einen kleinen Spatel zum Kochen.noun
I use a small spatula for cooking.
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