<p><strong>Noun</strong></p><ul><li>A dressed fowl that has had its backbone removed and has been split open and flattened so that it cooks more evenly when grilled, broiled, or roasted.</li></ul><p><strong>Verb</strong></p><ul><li>(used with object) To prepare and cook (a dressed fowl) in this manner.</li><li>To insert or interpolate, especially in a forced or incongruous manner: Additional information has been spatchcocked into the occasional random footnote.</li></ul>