Splash

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /splæʃ/

Definitions

1. A sudden and vigorous dispersion of liquid in multiple directions occurs when a force is applied
2. a small increment of liquid that enhances the flavor of a beverage is included
3. When a liquid is violently thrown about due to a sudden hit or force ; a slight quantity of liquid thrown into a drink to influence its taste

Etymology: "Splash" is probably an alteration of "plash," an older English word meaning to splash or to make a noise in water. The change from "pl-" to "spl-" is a pattern rather than a one-off accident: English picked up the s- in a group of water-related verbs like "spatter" and "spill," where the initial s- gives the sound a sharper, more messy burst. Over time the s-form seems to have pushed the older "plash" aside, which is why most speakers now meet the first form only in dictionaries and old texts. The word works as both a verb and a noun, and the two senses still share the same core: a liquid being thrown about, whether that is a wave hitting a shore, a child jumping into a puddle, or a drop of paint dashed onto a canvas. The noise and the spray happen together, so the word names both at once.

Synonyms: spatter, spray, splatter, splashdown, douse

Antonyms: absorb, soak, dry, dehydrate, suck