spitfire
Americannoun
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a person, especially a girl or woman, who is of fiery temper and easily provoked to outbursts.
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(initial capital letter) a British fighter plane with a single in-line engine used by the R.A.F. throughout World War II.
noun
Etymology
Origin of spitfire
Explanation
Someone who's a spitfire has a fiery or passionate temper. If your sister slams her door dramatically whenever she's angry, you can describe her as a spitfire. From the early 1600s, spitfire was used for things that literally appeared to "spit" fire, and also for people who figuratively seemed to do the same. The word described both military cannons and fierce, quick-tempered personalities. Today, it's almost always used for someone who's intense and maybe a little bit difficult: "They have to pay the babysitter extra because my little cousins are such spitfires!"
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The iconic red brick building which houses Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum contains thousands of artefacts - from a full sized elephant beneath a spitfire to Salvador Dali's Christ of St John of the Cross.
From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2026
He’s also a widower who lost his wife not to some boring disease but in a way that only a real spitfire would go, by flipping her ATV.
From Salon ● Mar. 23, 2026
A Taiwanese American human rights lawyer by day, Chung imbues her debut novel — based in part on memories shared by her grandmother — with spitfire flair and real-life specificity.
From New York Times ● May 30, 2024
Co-producer Live Nation announced Rhymes’ North American tour in November, marking the spitfire rapper’s first headlining run in support of his 11th studio album, “Blockbusta,” released in 2023.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 8, 2024
“Well! However, I am afraid I asked for it You were always a bit of a spitfire... Queen Jenny.”
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
