spatterdock

[ spat-er-dok ]

noun

1. any of various water lilies of the genus Nuphar, having globular yellow flowers and growing in lakes or sluggish streams, especially N. advena, of the eastern U.S.

Word History and Origins

Origin of spatterdock¹

An Americanism dating back to 1805–15; spatter + dock ⁴

Example Sentences

The agency dumped scoops of fingerlings into the lake, and some headed for the cover of spatterdock and other vegetation poking out of the water.

From Washington Times

On the island he had opened a bottle of beer, home-brewed from the rhizome, or plant stem, of the spatterdock that grows along the riverbank.

From New York Times

Low tide drains most of the water from the creek, exposing broad mud flats covered with an emerging waterlily known as spatterdock.

From Washington Post

Hamm pointed in the lake at tall grass and large, heart-shaped leaves called spatterdock that provide protective cover for the small fish.

From Washington Times