spittoon

[ spi-toon ]

/ spɪˈtun /

noun

a cuspidor.

Nearby words

Origin of spittoon

An Americanism dating back to 1815–25; spit¹ + -oon

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for spittoon

There is the mucilage-bottle broken, and six panes of glass, and a spittoon, and two candlesticks.
Sketches New and Old, Complete|Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
He jerked his head towards the old man and drew the spittoon near with his feet.
Northern Lights, Complete|Gilbert Parker
The spittoon knows its place in the corner, as if treated by tobacco chewers with oft indignity.
Around The Tea-Table|T. De Witt Talmage
The eldest son chews the betel which he has received, and spits into a spittoon held by the barber, whose property it becomes.
Castes and Tribes of Southern India|Edgar Thurston

The spittoon in falling from the retainer's hand had not been overturned.
Legends of Gods and Ghosts (Hawaiian Mythology)|W. D. (William Drake) Westervelt

British Dictionary definitions for spittoon

spittoon

/ (spɪˈtuːn) /

noun

a receptacle for spit, usually in a public place

Word Origin for spittoon

C19: from spit 1 + -oon: see saloon, balloon, etc

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

Word Origin and History for spittoon

spittoon

1823, American English, from spit (n.1) + -oon. A rare instance of a word formed in English using this suffix (octoroon is another). Replaced earlier spitting box (1680s).