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 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.
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