spittoon

[ spi-toon ]

/ spɪˈtun /

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noun

a cuspidor.

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Origin of spittoon

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

Words nearby spittoon

spitting image, spitting snake, spittle, spittlebug, spittle insect, spittoon, spit up, spitz, Spitzenburg, spiv, spivvy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use spittoon in a sentence

The floors were sticky with the tar from overflowing spittoons.
New York’s First Crime Boss: Captain Isaiah Rynders|Mark Lawrence Schrad|September 10, 2021|The Daily Beast
Often placed in the middle of the floor, the spittoon was used mainly by tobacco-chewers.
Strolling vs. Scrolling: What’s the Next Social?|Josefina Salomon|July 26, 2021|Ozy
I felt stupid and alone, and compensated by trying desperately to keep a fingerhold on my identity by hiding a spittoon in the inside of my jacket pocket so I could chew tobacco during class.
Is the Future of Farming in the Ocean? (Ep. 467)|Stephen J. Dubner|June 24, 2021|Freakonomics
The host, not to be outdone, was sitting with his feet on the railing of the stove, but as far from the spittoon as possible.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton

The ladies are not compelled to sit in isolation, by the side of passengers who use the car-floor as a spittoon.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 14, No. 85, November, 1864|Various
An attendant holding a spittoon immediately took up his position beside him.
Life in an Indian Outpost|Gordon Casserly
The spittoon was emptied into the sea at a distance from land secretly and in the middle of the night.
Myths & Legends of our New Possessions & Protectorate|Charles M. Skinner
The spittoon was solid silver, and had never been used but once, when a child threw into it an orange peeling.
Around The Tea-Table|T. De Witt Talmage

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