v. An older cooking term that's recently come back into vogue and describes splitting a small bird down the back, then opening out and flattening the two sides like a book. It's similar to the term butterfly, though spatchcock refers only to fowl, whereas butterflying typically applies to boneless cuts (meat, poultry, fish and so on). n. A bird that's split and spread in preparation for roasting or broiling.
From The Food Lover's Companion, Fourth edition by Sharon Tyler Herbst and Ron Herbst. Copyright © 2007, 2001, 1995, 1990 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc.