Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- transitive verb To spatter.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To soil by spattering; sprinkle with anything liquid, or with any wet or adhesive substance.
- Figuratively, to asperse with calumny or reproach.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To soil by spattering; to sprinkle, esp. with dirty water, mud, or anything which will leave foul spots or stains.
- transitive verb To asperse with calumny or reproach.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb transitive To
spatter orcover with something;sprinkle with anything liquid, or with any wet or adhesive substance. - verb transitive To
soil by spattering. - verb transitive, figuratively To
asperse withcalumny orreproach ;shend .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb spot, splash, or soil
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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So when the king is a horseback he is sure to be the dirtiest person of the company, and they that make their court best are such as bespatter him most.
A Tale of a Tub Jonathan Swift 1706
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Conveniency for him to bespatter her with Scandal.
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Every time he comes in at me from in front earth and sand from his bullets bespatter me right and left.
Stuka Pilot Rudel, Hans-Ulrich 1973
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Bits of soft earth mixed with squashed berries came out of nowhere to bespatter us - until Oomark threw up one arm and gave a crowing cry.
Dread Companion Norton, Andre 1970
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He was a proud man, who must hate standing by helplessly, holding the supreme office in Orvieto, watching the two great families bespatter his city with blood.
The Saracen: The Holy War Robert Shea 1963
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O stout Amazonians, who thus couragiously, take the Weapons in hand, to defend and protect your Husbands, Children, Servants and houskeeping; why should not you have as great commendations given you, as those noble Souls of your Sex had in former times? and who would not rather ingage in the imbracing of you, then any waies to affront or bespatter you?
The Ten Pleasures of Marriage and the Second Part, The Confession of the New Married Couple A. Marsh
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Lord Stanley are wont to bespatter and heap dirt on each other's heads in their legislative squabbles!
Punch, or the London Charivari. Volume 1, July 31, 1841 Various
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Last night about 10.30 the Turks disturbed our peace by firing fifty or sixty shells about our Beach, some being very near our camp, near enough to bespatter our tents and dugouts with lumps of earth.
The Incomparable 29th and the "River Clyde" George Davidson
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But most people when they are abused do not consider whether the abuse really belongs to them properly, but look round to see what abuse they can heap on the abuser, and, as wrestlers get smothered with the dust of the arena, do not wipe off the abuse hurled at themselves, but bespatter others, and at last get on both sides grimy and discoloured.
Plutarch's Morals 46-120? Plutarch
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Agrarian contests of Rome, which were so long misunderstood; and through that misunderstanding has the word Agrarian, so proper in itself, been made to furnish one of the most reproachful terms that violent politicians have ever used when seeking to bespatter their foes.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 03, No. 18, April, 1859 Various
ruzuzu commented on the word bespatter
"Figuratively, to asperse with calumny or reproach." --CD&C
January 19, 2012