spittle
Americannoun
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the fluid secreted in the mouth; saliva or spit
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Also called: cuckoo spit. frog spit. the frothy substance secreted on plants by the larvae of certain froghoppers
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Cicadas, winged buggy noisemakers whose relatives include leaf-hoppers and spittle bugs, come in two varieties: the annual cicadas who, sure enough, appear every year and the periodical cicadas, who appear in 13-year and 17-year cycles.
From Salon ● May 16, 2024
Measles, which can be prevented by vaccination, is an airborne disease spread by the coughs, sneezes and spittle of those infected.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 3, 2023
At jazz band practice, the teacher, Eva Aneshansley, mindful of spittle, slides a trash can beside a trumpeter.
From New York Times ● Oct. 6, 2022
The spittle of a sneezing, sniffling guy somehow went through his mask and landed on my forehead.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2022
Dried spittle caked the corners of his mouth.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
Definitions 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.
