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I'm searching for a word describing the sound of liquid hitting the floor, nothing like water — more like milkshake/vomit.

I know this sounds strange, but I was thinking of plunge. Only to discover that it's more in use for people diving into water...

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7 Answers

up vote 13 down vote accepted

This comes to my mind:

splat 2 informal noun a sound of something soft and wet or heavy striking a surface : the goblin makes a huge splat as he hits the ground.

Could apply to a quantity of water, I imagine. Also, it's a 19th century abbreviation of splatter, which might also work.

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Perfect! Just Perfect! thank you. – Asaf Apr 16 '11 at 9:41
I would say 'splat' is used for something with more substance. 'Wet', yes but not a liquid. A custard pie, for example, might 'splat'. – Karl Apr 16 '11 at 12:32
well, milkshake & vomit are more substancy – Asaf Apr 16 '11 at 12:44
up vote 7 down vote

"Splosh" was my first thought. It's just a variation of "splash," but I always think of splashing in a bathtub. "Slosh" would be the sound you get shaking liquid in a basin of some sort. Thus, I offer "splosh."

...Now that I think about it, though, a lot of the time when something as thick as a milkshake hits the ground it makes more of a "slap" than anything else...

May I suggest an experiment...?

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2  
I like the idea of experimenting. The great thing with onomatopoeia is that if you were to make up a word entirely, it shouldn't matter too much as people will mostly get the idea - as long as you replicate the sound accurately enough. So yes, try it out and see how you think it sounds! – Karl Apr 16 '11 at 12:33
Yes but if you try to describe a scene and the first sentence is "you hear a sound of squaalaaash in the room".. It could get quite confusing. – Asaf Apr 16 '11 at 12:43
...A little silly, perhaps, but I wouldn't say confusing, and silly only because of the a's. I wouldn't think anything unusual of "You hear a squalash in the room." – kitukwfyer Apr 16 '11 at 19:13
up vote 2 down vote

What about plop? It has a thick sound to it. According to Wikitionary, it's even been converted to a noun in the UK, as a slang term for excrement, presumably from the sound of its hitting the water and its having just the right consistency.

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@gbutters You are aware that excrement is another word for your solid, correct? – Billare Apr 16 '11 at 1:07
@gbutters No, it isn't. Yogurt, a colloid -- an even mixture of solid and liquid, hence "thick" -- can plop just fine. And besides, is vomit not solid? – Billare Apr 16 '11 at 1:23
1  
Errm...Not to intrude on this lovely discussion, but, FWIW, I'd say onomatopoeia have pretty nebulous definitions. If I say someone's milkshake/vomit plopped onto the floor, well then plop it did! At the end of the day, this is going to come down to personal preference and perception... What I say makes a raspy sound may well sound a whispery one to the person next to me, and these liquid words are little different, IMHO. – kitukwfyer Apr 16 '11 at 2:15
up vote 1 down vote

splash, plop, or drip"

come to mind (depending on velocity)

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up vote 0 down vote

I suggest splop: halfway between a splosh (which sounds rather wet) and a plop (which sounds rather thick and viscous).

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up vote 0 down vote

All of the words given are examples of onomatopoeia - words that describe exactly the sound they refer to (like 'bang' and 'clap').

Some good onomatopoeic words for liquid are:

drip, drop, plop - these would describe single droplets of liquid hitting the floor individually, as from a loose faucet/tap.

drum, pit-a-pat, patter - like the droplets above but when many come down at once, like with rain.

sploosh, splosh, splash - these would describe larger quantities of liquid, like spilling a drink.

Hope this helps. I'm sure there are more, too.

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up vote 0 down vote

There is also a swash. But this inconsequential answer didn't have thirty characters, so here is some bogus text to please the silly computer.

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...When that happens to me, I just put in another ellipsis!...I am rather fond of them... – kitukwfyer Apr 17 '11 at 0:52
@kitukwyer: Ah! But then... yes, it works, by Jove! – Cerberus Apr 17 '11 at 1:26

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