The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Spatter \Spat"ter\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spattered; p. pr. &
   vb. n. Spattering.] [From the root of spit salvia.]
   1. To sprinkle with a liquid or with any wet substance, as
      water, mud, or the like; to make wet of foul spots upon by
      sprinkling; as, to spatter a coat; to spatter the floor;
      to spatter boots with mud.
      [1913 Webster]

            Upon any occasion he is to be spattered over with
            the blood of his people.              --Burke.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To distribute by sprinkling; to sprinkle around; as, to
      spatter blood. --Pope.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. Fig.: To injure by aspersion; to defame; to soil; also, to
      throw out in a defamatory manner.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

spattering
    n 1: the noise of something spattering or sputtering
         explosively; "he heard a spatter of gunfire" [syn:
         spatter, spattering, splatter, splattering,
         sputter, splutter, sputtering]
    2: the act of splashing a (liquid) substance on a surface [syn:
       spatter, spattering, splash, splashing,
       splattering]