spit

[ spit ]

/ spɪt /

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See synonyms for: spit / spat / spitting on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), spit or spat, spit·ting.

to eject saliva from the mouth; expectorate.

to express hatred, contempt, etc., by or as if by ejecting saliva from the mouth.

to sputter: grease spitting on the fire.

to fall in scattered drops or flakes, as rain or snow.

verb (used with object), spit or spat, spit·ting.

to eject from the mouth: The children were spitting watermelon seeds over the fence.

to throw out or emit like saliva: The kettle spits boiling water over the stove.

to set a flame to.

noun

saliva, especially when ejected.

the act of spitting.

Entomology.Also called spittle . the frothy secretion exuded by spittlebugs.

a light fall of rain or snow.

Verb Phrases

spit up, to vomit; throw up: The wounded soldier spat up blood.If you jostle the baby, she'll spit up.

OTHER WORDS FOR spit

3 spatter.

See synonyms for spit on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about spit

spit and image, Informal. exact likeness; counterpart: Hunched over his desk, pen in hand, he was the spit and image of his father at work.Also spitting image, spit 'n' image.

Origin of spit

First recorded before 950; Middle English verb spitten, spit(te), Old English spyttan, spittan; cognate with Old Norse spýta, German (dialect) spitzen “to spit”; the noun is derivative of the verb

OTHER WORDS FROM spit

spitlike, adjective

Words nearby spit

spirt, spirula, spirulina, spiry, spissatus, spit, spital, spit and polish, spitball, spitballer, spitchcock

Other definitions for spit (2 of 2)

spit²

[ spit ]

/ spɪt /

noun

a pointed rod or bar for thrusting through and holding meat that is to be cooked before or over a fire.

any of various rods, pins, or the like used for particular purposes.

a narrow point of land projecting into the water.

a long, narrow shoal extending from the shore.

verb (used with object), spit·ted, spit·ting.

to pierce, stab, or transfix, as with a spit; impale on something sharp.

to thrust a spit into or through.

Origin of spit

First recorded before 1000; Middle English spit(e), spitte, Old English spitu; cognate with Middle Dutch, Middle Low German spit, spet, Old High German spiz “spit”; akin to Old Norse spīta “wooden peg, spit”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use spit in a sentence

Orient Beach State Park, a 363-acre spit of land jutting out into Gardiner’s Bay, is one of the few North Fork beaches that doesn’t require a residential parking permit.
The 25 Best Fall Trips in the World|jversteegh|August 9, 2021|Outside Online
He bought an aquarium, an electric motor, a heating element, a metal spit rod and a few other spare parts and began to tinker.
Ron Popeil, inventor, pitchman and TV infomercial star, dies at 86|Matt Schudel|July 29, 2021|Washington Post
Pitchers put spit or other substances on the ball to make their pitches dip and swerve so they would be harder to hit.
‘Sticky stuff,’ spitballs, steroids and other ways MLB players have broken the rules to win|Fred Bowen|June 23, 2021|Washington Post
I bring a lot of masks in my backpack because I don’t like when my mask gets wet from spit.
'A Year Full of Emotions.' What Kids Learned From the COVID-19 Pandemic|Allison Singer|June 12, 2021|Time

They help filter or block spit or mucus droplets that carry infectious particles.
Copper ‘foam’ could be used as filters for COVID-19 masks|Sid Perkins|May 11, 2021|Science News For Students
Qatar is just a little spit of land that looks like a polyp on edge of Saudi Arabia.
U.S. Ally Qatar Shelters Jihadi Moneymen|Jamie Dettmer|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So he and his partner, Zack Simpson, did what they do so well: started spit-balling some game theory around politics.
How to Fight Corruption With Game Theory|Mark McKinnon|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I breathed sloppily through my mouth, hung my head between my legs, and spit every so often.
I Shot Bin Laden|Elliot Ackerman|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We still have a long way to go, but it has improved dramatically since the post Vietnam syndrome when Vets were spit on.
McCain’s 13 Favorite Soldiers|Sandra McElwaine|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Forgive my candor, though such is my wont, but much like that moose on a spit, Bernie is dead.
How the Lame Democrats Blew It|Goldie Taylor|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Many gallants 'took' their tobacco in the lords room over the stage, and went out to (Saint) Paul's to spit there privately.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
When used by gentlemen it was common to carry a silver basin to spit in.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
They are permitted to throw the leavings of their food and spit where they like, sit how they like and smoke everywhere.
Third class in Indian railways|Mahatma Gandhi
Fergan, as well as his companions, curious to know the purpose of the stake and spit, followed the priest.
The Pilgrim's Shell or Fergan the Quarryman|Eugne Sue
Sirs, this is but a temporary dispensation; this is but a puff of wind, this is but a spit of rain and by with it.
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson, Volume XXI|Robert Louis Stevenson

British Dictionary definitions for spit (1 of 3)

spit¹

/ (spɪt) /

verb spits, spitting, spat or spit

(intr) to expel saliva from the mouth; expectorate

(intr) informal to show disdain or hatred by spitting

(of a fire, hot fat, etc) to eject (fragments of coal, sparks, etc) violently and with an explosive sound; splutter

(intr) to rain very lightly

(tr often foll by out) to eject or discharge (something) from the mouthhe spat the food out; to spit blood

(tr often foll by out) to utter (short sharp words or syllables), esp in a violent manner

spit chips Australian slang to be very angryAlso (NZ): spit tacks

spit it out! British informal a command given to someone that he should speak forthwith

noun

another name for spittle

a light or brief fall of rain, snow, etc

the act or an instance of spitting

informal, mainly British another word for spitting image

Derived forms of spit

spitter, noun

Word Origin for spit

Old English spittan; related to spǣtan to spit, German dialect spitzen

British Dictionary definitions for spit (2 of 3)

spit²

/ (spɪt) /

noun

a pointed rod on which meat is skewered and roasted before or over an open fire

Also called: rotisserie, rotating spit a similar device rotated by electricity or clockwork, fitted onto a cooker

an elongated often hooked strip of sand or shingle projecting from the shore, deposited by longshore drift, and usually above water

verb spits, spitting or spitted

(tr) to impale on or transfix with or as if with a spit

Word Origin for spit

Old English spitu; related to Old High German spiz spit, Norwegian spit tip

British Dictionary definitions for spit (3 of 3)

spit³

/ (spɪt) /

noun

the depth of earth cut by a spade; a spade's depth

Word Origin for spit

C16: from Middle Dutch and Middle Low German spit

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

spit

OTHER WORDS FOR spit

Idioms about spit

Origin of spit

OTHER WORDS FROM spit

Words nearby spit

Other definitions for spit (2 of 2)

Origin of spit

Words related to spit

How to use spit in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for spit (1 of 3)

Derived forms of spit

Word Origin for spit

British Dictionary definitions for spit (2 of 3)

Word Origin for spit

British Dictionary definitions for spit (3 of 3)

Word Origin for spit