Dictionary.com

spittle

[ spit-l ]
/ ˈspÉȘt l /
Save This Word!

noun
saliva; spit.
Entomology. the frothy secretion exuded by spittlebugs.
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?

Origin of spittle

1470–80; blend of Middle English spit (noun) (see spit1) and spetil,Old English spǣtl, variant of spātl saliva
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use spittle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for spittle

spittle
/ (ˈspÉȘtəl) /

noun
the fluid secreted in the mouth; saliva or spit
Also called: cuckoo spit, frog spit the frothy substance secreted on plants by the larvae of certain froghoppers

Word Origin for spittle

Old English spÇŁtl saliva; see spit 1
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
FEEDBACK