sploot

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /spluːt/, /splʊt/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːt

Etymology 1

Imitative of the sound.

Interjection

sploot

1. Onomatopoeia for a plop or splash.

English Bulldog splooting

Etymology 2

Uncertain. Perhaps a blend of splay +‎ scoot. Compare also splat.

Noun

sploot (plural sploots)

1. (slang) An animal's flat posture on its stomach, hind legs extended.
   • 2016 December 13, Elizabeth J. Duncan, “Ill Met by Murder”, in A Shakespeare in the Catskills Mystery, Crooked Lane Books, page 207:

     Rupert wandered restlessly around for a few minutes and finally settled at Charlotte's feet, his feathery back legs stretched out behind him in what corgi owners call a sploot.

   • 2018 September, J. Warner Wallace, Forensic Faith for Kids, Learn to Share the Truth from a Real Detective, David C Cook, unpaged:

     “That's called a corgi ‘sploot,’” informs Jason.

   • 2021, Debbie Baldwin, Illicit Intent, Gatekeeper Press, unpaged:

     Inside, Calliope turned to see her rottweiler, Coco, engaging in her wake up stretches: butt up, paws out, followed by back legs out behind her in a sploot.

Verb

sploot (third-person singular simple present sploots, present participle splooting, simple past and past participle splooted)

1. (slang) To lie flat with hind legs extended.

   Synonyms: frog, pancake

   • 2019, March 5, Amber Royer, Pure Chocolate, Watkins Media, unpaged:

     Four of the dragons sploot flat instead of sitting — a gesture they must have picked up from their time being Frank’s corgi.

   • 2020 August 20, Matthew Wright, DailyMail.com[1]:

     Squirrels in the U.S. are 'splooting' in an attempt to stay cool and close to the ground as the heat blazes across the country

   • 2020 September 21, Paige Sleuth, Arrested in Cherry Hills, Amazon KDP, chapter 6, unpaged:

     With his front paws tucked underneath his chest and his hind legs splayed behind him in a splooting pose, he didn’t appear to have a care in the world.

   • 2020 November 3, Tama Fortner, “Homecoming Tales”, in 15 Inspiring Stories from Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary, Thomas Nelson, page 82:

     Not many big dogs do the sploot, but Pooh Bear will sploot just about anytime and anywhere. She even splooted in the middle of the mall while waiting to see Santa!

Further reading

• “Does "splooting" have an etymology?” by Victor Mair, published in Language Log (2022-08-13)