spătŭla (spăth-), ae, f. dim. [spatha]. *
I A broad piece : porcina, a leg of pork , Apic. 4, 3, § 174 sqq.—*
II A little palmbranch , Vulg. Lev. 23, 40.
·noun An implement shaped like a knife, flat, thin, and somewhat flexible, used for spreading paints...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language