spittle

American  

[spit-l] / ˈspɪt l /

noun

1. saliva; spit.

2. Entomology. the frothy secretion exuded by spittlebugs.

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spittle British  

/ ˈspɪtəl /

noun

1. the fluid secreted in the mouth; saliva or spit

2. Also called: cuckoo spit.   frog spit.  the frothy substance secreted on plants by the larvae of certain froghoppers

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Etymology

Origin of spittle

1470–80; blend of Middle English spit (noun) ( see spit ¹) and spetil, Old English spǣtl, variant of spātl saliva

Example Sentences

Spittle and shells litter the ground, as men, women and older children laugh and chatter with lips stained bright red.

From BBC • Oct. 11, 2017

Spittle, whose shot would have looked good in most groups, hit his tee shot about 12 feet from the hole and settled for par.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 26, 2017

“I can’t wait to see the hubbub and activity,” Spittle said.

From Washington Post • Sep. 30, 2016

Rod Spittle topped the four Canadians in the field with a 72.

From Washington Times • Sep. 23, 2016

Spittle dripped from the corner of his mouth.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini