# splat

/ˈspɫæt/ (US) · /splˈæt/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/splat
Updated: 2026-05-31

## Definition

a sudden, loud noise that happens when something soft hits a hard surface. It is also used in computing to describe a file that shows what went wrong when a program crashed.

For teachers: a sudden, loud, wet-sounding noise; in a technical context, a file containing a memory dump of a program's state at the time of a crash. Informal in register; frequently used in software development to describe error logs.

## Examples

- The rain made a loud splat against the window.
- The developer checked the latest splat to see why the application crashed during the login process.
- While the physical splat of the rain was a minor annoyance, the digital splat provided the critical data needed to identify the memory leak in the kernel module.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.