A spatula is a broad, flat, flexible blade used to mix, spread and lift material including foods, drugs, plaster and paints.
In medical applications, "spatula" may also ...
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be used synonymously with tongue depressor.
The word spatula derives from the Latin word for a flat piece of wood or splint, a diminutive form of the Latin spatha, meaning ´broadsword´, and hence can also refer to a tongue depressor. The words spade (digging tool) and spathe are similarly derived. The word spatula has been used in English since 1525.
